Last updated on June 8th, 2023 at 11:10 am
Backgammon NJ
Backgammon NJ is one of the best $4.99 to play game in the App Store.
Developed by Jimmy Hu, Backgammon NJ is a Board game with a content rating of 4+.
It was released on 1st September 2009 with the latest update 11th May 2020
Whether you are a fan of Board, Entertainment, or Strategy games, you will find this game interesting and will absolutely like it.
Rating
1,194 people have rated 6.3.8
You can download the game Backgammon NJ from APP STORE.
Description
● GAME CENTER — Play online, chat, invite friends, auto-match with random players
{ Real-time } Play online in real-time
{ Turn-based } Play online at your own pace
● VERSATILE — Play offline vs. computer or against another person in 2-player mode
● CUSTOMIZABLE — More options than any other backgammon app
Play & learn backgammon at skill levels ranging from beginner to world-class!
Backgammon NJ is a full-featured game which uses an advanced, neural network-based, artificial intelligence. Play against a computer AI, another person in 2-player mode on one device, or online against friends & other players. Using Tutor Mode & Hints, Backgammon NJ can show you how to improve your game!
Discriminating players will appreciate how well the AI plays. It uses a neural network trained on millions of positions, a bearoff database, & a match equity table to achieve strong gameplay that will challenge even expert players.
REVIEWS
"[I] know strong bg play when I see it. This app is the strongest iPhone bg app I’ve played with by far. It does not cheat period. …Analyzing these matches with eXtreme Gammon confirms a world class level of play with normal luck factors. If you are losing, get over it. So would 99.9% of the other backgammon players in the world. It is just that good. Learn from it." -Richard Munitz, Giant of Backgammon, #21 world ranking in 2009
"Backgammon NJ plays at an extremely high level with an excellent interface, and I often use it to practice on my iPhone when I am traveling. I recommend it highly to my students and friends." -Phil Simborg, Professional Backgammon Teacher and Player, www.mindgamescenter.com
"I’ve played over 500 games now; I’ve checked about 5% of these against World Class Desktop programs (GNU, BGBlitz); and I’ve actually used some of the competition. NJ has the best interface and has more useful functions than any other backgammon apps out there."
"For serious backgammon players, Backgammon NJ is the way to go." -Macworld.com, May 2012
IS THIS GAME RIGHT FOR YOU?
This game is best for people:
- Who recognize the strength of neural network backgammon bots
- Who want to improve their game by playing against a world-class level AI
- Who will use the in-depth, technical features included in the app to prove that it is honest (https://www.njsoftware.com/note.html)
- Who won’t expect to win consistently on the higher skill levels
FEATURES
- Neural network-based AI
- 2 game types: Standard Backgammon or Nackgammon
- 4 skill levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert
- Customizable board design & checker colors
- Mersenne Twister algorithm for random number generation
- Doubling cube
- Single games or match play up to 25 points
- Crawford rule for match play
- 1-player mode vs. computer
- 2-player mode on one device
- Game Center: Play real-time or turn-based online matches with friends & other players
- Chat with your online opponent
- Online Elo & Experience leaderboards
- Block list for auto-match
- User-friendly, tap-to-move interface
- Highlighted checker movement options
- Hint & Undo
- Learn with Status Meter & Tutor Mode
- Game & dice stats, including Elo rating & ER
- Match info: GnuBG ID, win chances, equity, top 10 moves, & cube decisions
- Email match files
- Practice mode with unlimited undo (1-player vs. computer)
- Manual match recording mode with unlimited undo & speed mode option
- Options to reverse board direction, resign, use one-tap moves, auto bearoff, auto finish, use Jacoby rule, & much more
- Match analysis (in-app purchase): Analyze past match files, view moves & errors for match, step through match, jump to position, play from position, save match files permanently
IMPORTANT
- If an online match ends for any reason, you’ll receive the Elo pts you deserve. FAQ: https://gamecenter.njsoftware.com
- Contact us for help: https://contact.njsoftware.com
Updated on 11th May 2020
v6.3:
- Fixed turn-based invite crash
- Fixed bug where offline match progress would be lost in some cases after exiting a turn-based match
- Minor bug fixes
v6.3.8:
- Fixed issue running app on iOS 10.x devices
Backgammon NJ Reviews
Gameplay is smooth always. Hints teach you advanced strategy.
Its amazing! We have had this app on our phone for eight years. We finally got our dad, who is 75 and NOT technically savvy, and now he loves it too. Its the best backgammon app for the serious backyard player.
We LOVE this app. We battle the computer every day.
We love the app and love the app and the game. However despite what the developers say, the AI in expert mode cheats. Regardless, its a fun challenge to try and beat the rigged rolls in their favor.
We’ve tried several backgammon apps over the years, and this one is our fav, hands-down. Nothing flashy. Just straight backgammon. And no advertising or other distractions. Thank you for this free app. Much appreciated!
The hard is too ruthless and unfair. We want a fair game with random rolls.
Beats us regularly on high setting.
We’ve tried free BG apps that try to sell you coins or tokens after they try to get you hooked. Those programs are rigged IMO… This program has no agenda like that. Try it out… We thought we were a decent player, but this app has showed us we still have much to learn.. Whoever wrote this program is a fin genius!
Fantastic app. Features were well thought out and implemented. Fair dice. We think this one only has one true competitor for its niche, True Backgammon. XG is better for analysis and Galaxy better for online timed matches against strong opponents but this one checks off almost all boxes otherwise. We would absolutely recommend anyone interested in backgammon to download this app.
Please add a sound off to the notification part of the app please.
First off, we swear the computer knows what rolls are coming. Theres probably a way for us to see them toobut that would be cheating. So, Ill just use this app for practice.
Overall solid app. Turn based multiplayer is great, and helpful but tutorials. We’ve used this app and then deleted it and then came back to it,mostly because of a few smaller things thatd make this really worth the money: Wish the Animation of checkers was smoother in regular play, pretty abrupt movements right now. The auto finish we wish it could go slower and respect the same animation so you can actually see how the game finishes (hard to tell what each roll is) In multiplayer chat, you should be able to send a message after your turn. Its annoying you cant type a message after your turn.
Rigged dice consistently get long shots1 in 36 or 1 in 18 about 50-67% of the time.
We rated this 4 stars because if you rate it less, it blocks you from entering a comment by continually indicating that your user name is invalid (alleging it was previously used). This occurs even when you employ wildly unique usernames. The fact is the game is merely ok (3 star at most). This is most noticeable when you play Expert level where the incidence of doubles and other extremely lucky app dice roles are way too common to be random.
Like the game have been playing for years Think computer is either very very lucky OR game is rigged.
We are familiar with dice rolling statistics. We wonder about the statistics of guessing the computers next roll, which we do with regularly playing against expert and hard.
Great interface and like playing. But theres no time limit on playing against somebody else so, when they arent happy, they just stop playing and wait for you to abort the game.
We do like this s backgammon app but it will definitely roll some highly questionable things. We do think it improves our playing.
Save the money youd pay for this game to visit your mother-in-law. Visiting your mother-in-law will be less aggravating than playing this game.
In real time play, the app FREQUENTLY disconnects. Get ready for frustration. Also, in spite of developers denials, when playing against the app, this will very predictably get the precise rolls it needs to get out of a jam and beat you. Developers claim to allow you access to the next one hundred rolls to refute any claim of dishonesty. Dont fall for it. This game will even use poor strategy and still be you more often than not.
Edited 2/27 we stand by every review we have written. The computer can see the rolls before they are made. There is no statistical reason for some of the moves it makes, doubles it accepts or doubles it presents. Mystery remains why: 1. The bulk of the computer doubles come when taking tokens off the board 2. The computer makes ridiculous moves thats end up with the perfect roll to cover every defensive position 3. The computer will leave a token open in his own zone and 100% of the time roll the perfect dice to cover 4. The computer rolls the perfect dice to knock you off way too high a % of the time to be legit 5. The computer accepts a double that you are projected to win by a huge margin… Only to roll the perfect dice to come back and win Buyer beware… Leave a bad review (ie the truth) and the developer will send you a nastygram asking why you still play if you hate it. Reason: we PAID FOR IT!! Thanks for the note developer but we enjoy trying to figure out when/how the computer cheats and reads the dice. Edited. We are a competitive player . The dice may not be loaded BUT depending on the skill level you play the computer can see your dice in advance and plays accordingly. Whoever says this game is not tilted to the computer has either A. No experience playing the game in the real world or B. No idea how statistics work . This game is a waste of time and money for anyone looking for a real backgammon experience. Edited 9/2/20. Despite developer remarks to both us and virtually everyone who has given his game a negative review we still contend that the game is fixed . Computer doubles are inordinately weighted towards events that give it an advantage: moving pieces off the board, moving out of troubles. Computer make silly moves only to be rewarded by a roll that will negate the move and give it an advantage. Buyer beware . Listen to a developer who wants your money or the hundreds of reviews that say the exact same thing about this game. We will throw the developer a boneits well designed. But its only fun to play if the goal is to figure out how to beat a cheat .
The stats dont lie even on Easy mode the dice are biased in favor of the computer AI. The computer consistently rolls 1.5 to 2x the number of doubles than the human player. The ratios for computer vs. Human rolling 2 doubles in a row or 3 doubles in a row is even more absurd. The game is still enjoyable as long as you understand the dice will usually not roll your way.
The game worked great until recently (last two weeks). Game disconnects mid-game about 75% of the time. This is happening over WiFi and cellular. Dont know what happened but Im now on the hunt for a replacement.
Love the app but of late games seem to stall midway. Not sure why. App continues to stall. Frustrating.
Do you enjoy ruining our day? Is this app a joke?
We dont care how many times these app creators say the dice is fair theyre just not saying the truth . Im a very good player and we have a hard time beating it sometimes . . We mean the computer gets 6 :1 4 times in a row to hit us because if it didnt it would definitely lose the game . 4 times in a row same numbers . Ok . For the app makers youre just insulting peoples intelligence .
It’s just ridiculous and beyond belief that the AI gets the perfect roll so often – by chance – haa! We tried playing several levels and found that the AIs luck increased at each higher level. TO DEVELOPERS – its skill that is supposed to increase by levels, not luck!!!
Anyone else notice how often you roll a 6+6 after being hit at beginning of the game? Happens ALL the time (way more than 1/36) and almost never to the computer. Rolling is extremely skewed. Mostly for computer but sometimes for the player. Games are usually skewed one way or the other in ways that we rarely experience on a real board with real dice The game plays fast with good action.
Computer wins with high Dice and doubles! Computer generates Dice as required to win! NOTHING RANDOM ABOUT IT!
The game consistently gets incredible rolls. And we consistently don’t. There’s no way to assess winning rolls based on simple roll stats. The program consistently gets good rolls. And we don’t. Update: After thousands of games, we hold the same opinion: the game simply gets consistently good rolls and we don’t. We can’t even recall the last time we had a run of good luck, winning a few games in a row, being down and getting several good rolls to surge ahead. Update two: It just happens game after game. The developer can say what they want to. This program is "luckier" than any human being. Update three: Just because the developer continues to post replies and ignore the experience of hundreds of experienced backgammon players does not mean the experience of these players is not true. PLEASE STOP REPLYING TO ME Update four: Amazing. Ask a developer to leave you alone and they just keep replying. Do they really think this endears future buyers of their app? Just send us info on how to get our money back and we can end this discussion. We’ll delete it and we’ll all be happy. UPDATE FIVE: Thanks for the info on refunds. We’ll be contacting Apple. They may not give us a refund because we’ve had the app for so long. You guys can still give us a refund if Apple refuses. Now we mainly want the refund because you’re just a jerk. And that’s what we’re telling Apple support. UPDATE SIX: One of our favorite things to notice is how often the game gets doubles as soon as it turns into a pure race…. UPDATE SEVEN: Count how many times you roll double 6s when trying to get off the bar.
Google it, some players use cheat codes/ hacks, and the computer looks at the predetermined rolls to make decisions on moves and doubling. This game is an INSULT to backgammon. Remember cheaters, karma is real. Stop cheating and dissolve your karma. Shame on you Mr. Hu, you are lying and making players frustrated.
This game rigs rolls. If you play in harder levels it doesnt do anything different other than rigging the roles so it always gets you and you can never get them. The developer keeps replying to reviews referencing a proof that is obviously not what the actual game uses, very dishonest.
It saddens us to see the AI cheat so obviously on dice rolls. The app claims that since the rolls are pre-determined before the game is played, that somehow prevents cheating. It does not mean the pre-determined dice rolls arent already stacked! It becomes painfully obvious when playing on the higher difficulties. You have 31% odds to roll a given number (below or equal to 6) in any given roll. But any time you need a given number, it will take 5-10 rolls to get it. Every time. Never once will you get it in the first 3 rolls as the odds predict. Counter to the computer side, they will roll a needed number MOST of the time. Can only roll a 5 to get back in play? They are rolling a 5, guaranteed. This is proven by simply doing manual rolls. The AI is incompetent and easy to beat when you plug in manual rolls, further proving they need loaded dice to win.
The developer takes great pains to explain how the rolls are not rigged in favor of the computer. Theres an old Shakespeare quote: Thou doth protest too much. All you have to do is play on expert mode and youll see what Im talking about. In every game, every single game, the computer easily covers its home base with perfect rolls, and if youre unlucky enough to have a man or two back in their home base, the rolls are such that the computer never leaves its own man opened to bump. We have played hundreds of games on expert mode, and the scenario is always the same. Heres another one that cannot be explained. If the computer bumps you in the one position and is not covered, you will NEVER roll a 1 to then bump the computer…. But if you bump the computer in your 1 position, it will always roll a 1 to bump you. Whatever the developer says, or tries to explain, its simply not true. Just play the game on any level other than expert mode and youll quickly see how it cheats. There are threads on reddit and all over the internet explaining how the game cheats. Paying for this app is a waste of time. Developer again goes to great pains to tell you the rolls are random… Random? Technically yes because theyre all spelled out before the game starts… But there is no way the AI doesnt have access to the random numbers because the random numbers are already within the app itself. Random numbers fine, but the AI knows what the rolls are going to be. Try playing on beginner level youll see what we mean. Terrible app.
Its not enjoyable to play, its stressful!!! Computer gets 3 – 4 doubles in a row. Gets the exact number to get your man every time. We’ve had this game since 2010. We like the look and its just plain backgammon, no fancy graphics and as junk like most game apps. We like being challenged but when we can only move one or two men at a time in and he moves four several times in a row when we were ahead to start. It just takes the fun and challenge out of the game. We will be deleting this app. Its NOT random rolls no matter what the developer says. Its too bad because Im mostly bedridden and really would like to play this but not worth it, too frustrating. Its not about winning at all, its about playing fair.
Its not enjoyable to play, its stressful!!! Computer gets 3 – 4 doubles in a row. Gets the exact number to get your man every time. We’ve had this game since 2010. We like the look and its just plain backgammon, no fancy graphics and as junk like most game apps. We like being challenged but when we can only move one or two men at a time in and he moves four several times in a row when we were ahead to start. It just takes the fun and challenge out of the game. We will be deleting this app. Its NOT random rolls no matter what the developer says. Its too bad because Im mostly bedridden and really would like to play this but not worth it, too frustrating. Its not about winning at all, its about playing fair. Hate this game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
However, we do doubt the fairness of the rolls.
Was hoping this one would be differentno. Last game – Im on the bar, 3 points covered, 3 open. 50/50 odds right? We missed SIX TIMES in row. Six! As an experiment, we accepted the double and kept re-doubling until the points maxed out at 64 – then the dice went totally bonkers. Computer got doubles FOUR times in a row when bearing off. And somehow, magically, when we had 2 & 3 chances to hit an open piece – miss! Every one. Not surprisingly, that game ended in a backgammon. Nothing to do with player skill, pure probability and the higher the stakes, the higher the cheat. So the AI side is a joke, Ill just look to play other players online. We hope that isnt rigged also with fake bot players.
We have been using this app for several years. Its relative level of play, and ease of use, are both exceptional.
Worth the price of admission, by far. Doesn’t cheat. Except for, we believe, when it doubles: it seems that at these times the AI sometimes peeks ahead and knows how good your next roll will be. Not sure though. There is an option where you can roll your own dice on your kitchen table, then plug the numbers into the app – as a way to prove the app doesnt cheat. In any case we play on Medium for a challenging game with the CPU! Loads of options. The most solid backgammon app at the store. Recommended! Still by far, the best backgammon simulation out there. Pay up or shut up.
Top notch backgammon simulator, and we waste an inordinate amount of time every day playing it. Please ignore the ignorant comments about the AI cheating. We have independently written our own backgammon bot and the neural net bots really are that good.
Does not work well with iPhone 8.
We can not believe the dice rolls are random. Anyone saying otherwise is a plant for the game seller. We give it 1/4 star, unfortunately, like winning the game, that rating is not an option. For $4.99 we want a refund. Btw, nice graphics, but you can’t tell a game by its cover. We agree. Almost every situation at the end when we’ve blocked in a blot or two and leave one open on next roll it sends it back and we loose.
Too rigged with known dice rolls.
Im a pretty good player but the game isnt random rolls. Moves computer uses are amateur and then the dice always rolls in computers favor. Dont waste your money.
Its clear the developer substitutes engineered rolls for quality intelligent moves. This will teach you to struggle with unbeatable odds and blatant cheating, but in the end is a complete failure to produce a lifelike contest, even one by a champion.
A very well done backgammon game. Inevitably, it sometimes feels like the game cheats. But we’ve had enough ridiculous. Ome-from-behind wins that Im convinced it all evens out.
The graphics arent as snazzy nor are the sound effects as crisp as some other BG games but there is no equal to the uniquely realistic gameplay in BGNJ. The AI is superb, the gameplay is fair. Any reports of rigging of the dice is a delusion in the mind of the player. Tutor modes and game analysis allow you to see your errors and really improve your game. Another highlight, the league of players is small but highly skilled and devoted. Best of all there is no constant buy in for chips or coins. You buy the game once and thats it. The rest is playing and improving your ER. There is a crashing issue that seems to be a function of Game Center, so says the developer. Its still the best game out there. One suggestion: open up the microphone. Then players could talk to each other in real time. Would save typing in the chat window and would make the game very social.
Bunch of sore losers in here. Print out the dice roll. Play it going first and second. Bet the computer will still beat you on expert. Put the dice roll into another hard engine. Bet it will still beat you. The developer has gone to incredible lengths to prove this that the dice roll is random. What would be his motivation for a cover-up? Makes no sense! Dont listen to these people. Computer is way rough but doesnt cheat.