Last updated on January 15th, 2026 at 10:30 am
Backgammon NJ – Board Game Review
Backgammon NJ is a Board/Entertainment/Strategy game from Jimmy Hu, first launched in 1st September 2009.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 1,418+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Backgammon NJ Stand Out
● 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
This Board game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Backgammon NJ is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 6th October 2024
Recent improvements include:
v7.0:
- Added "Stop Auto Finish When Doubled" option
- Added "Display Statistic/Meter" option
- Added "Match File/Info Export" option (includes Share function)
- Added "Swap Match File Player Position" option
- Added "Analyze Most Recent Match" option to Double Tap & Swipe Left on Status Meter settings (included in Analysis Package in-app purchase)
- Updated for iOS 18
- Minor bug fixes
v7.0.2:
- Fixed issue where some online play buttons were not being grayed out
Download & Availability
Backgammon NJ is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Backgammon NJ on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
By using the hints, we can check our judgment against the games.
Best bg app around. Would suggest two improvements: First, have a setting where you can dictate your own range of Elo rating to be matched up with. The plus/minus 200 point thing is weak. Secondly, dont include turns on the bar and forced moves in the calculation of the error rate. The error rates are inflated (deflated?) due to this. XG does not include these two things in their er calculation.
Ive been playing this game daily for years, and have enjoyed many hours of challenging backgammon. Thank you very much for this fine product! Update 2024: Im 81 years old and still playing every day with pleasure, and we seem to be winning more often than before. Mr. Hu, we are very grateful.
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.
We used to play netgammon8 and gnubg. Now this is all we need. Updated 2024: They keep updating th application and adding cool features. We bought this more than 10 years ago and the developer keeps improving the capabilities. We highly recommend this developer and game. Very playable alone or remotely with other players.
If we won the first game in on the second game, we got disconnected. Why our ELO went down and our appointments went up.
Excellent. Only improvement would be to make the workflow to improvement with hints easier. Ex: player moves, then can see an overlay of best possible move.
Its so painfully obvious how its rigged to the computer winning when you have to try and roll in 15 times and the computer rolls in after the first try.
Its a bit offensive that the developers specifically says that the app doesnt cheat and that the rolls all Match the expected distribution. Perhaps all If the rolls in one game match the expected distribution, but doubles are insanely concentrated in the end game. And, the app definitely looks ahead as it often makes moves that no sane player would make unless they knew the next roll. Its time for us to look for a different app.
While the game play is good, the fact that the developer has to build in a the game doesnt cheat answer into the App should tell you something. When you get to higher levels, the AI nearly always goes first, and is absolutely aware of the upcoming roles. So while the developer says there cant be any cheating because all of the roles are known and its not favoring the AI, thats just fundamentally false. The AI does know all the upcoming rolls and knows exactly how to play them. So you will see it time and time again playing a perfect game because it knows exactly what its die are going to be, and exactly how to win the game. Can you beat this game on hard? Yes. Is everything in favor of the AI?? Youll be the judge. Update: we read another review that said if you switch to manual rolls, youll see just how skewed the game is toward AI. This turned out to be 100% correct. When we started using manual rolls, the whole game shifted again, even at the hardest level. The AI performed much worse, confirming our belief that the game is stacked against you. Thats a bummer because you dont want to have to manual roll every game. But at least now we know Im not insane and started winning games again. Lol.
Great game but new update doesnt fit iphone 13.
We have been playing this game for years and we know statistically its impossible to throw what it needs 75-80% of the time. It just does not happen with humans. We quit when it happens over and over again and becomes unwindable. You get a chance to win the other 25-30% of the time-which we enjoy too much.
Opponent always rolls doubles during the end game. The AI opponent also gets amazingly luck while we never do. The opponent goes first 80% of the time. Skip this game. It could be good, but the developer is @#$#$ with you.
Impossible to play against the computer. Hits 99.9% of all rolls. They say its random but definitely not. Its crazy how the computer rolls exactly what it needs 99.99% of the time.
Es una vergenza como manipula el azar. Psimo.
Game play is awesome. We think Im getting to be a better player. The features are rich and robust so users can try different options. User interface and game play are very very realistic. The 4 levels of play are realistic. Only suggestion – Would be nice to be able to undo more than 1 move.
Fast checker play. Helpful hint button that you can refer to at your option. Ability to resign and autofinish. Good analysis package. We wish we could toggle between 1 player and 2 player modes without abandoning our match.
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.
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.
Ive 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.
Ive 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.
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.
Please add a sound off to the notification part of the app please.
Gameplay is smooth always. Hints teach you advanced strategy.
Like other posters, when we first played this game we thought that it seemed the computer always got exactly the rolls it needed everytime. But now that we've played it more it seems like its about 60/40. Either way we have learned a lot playing it on hard mode. This is the first computer backgammon game we've ever played so nothing to compare it to. We've enjoyed it & we think improved our game in real life, so that's why we give it four stars.
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. Ive 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.
Regardless of your skill level the ai or algorithm that is used has a impact on your skill level. Someone who is new can realize a quick climb in ones score in order to keep them interested and to keep playing. A more experienced player has extreme ups and downs, rolls by opponents are suspect and to keep the app as a on-going concern will force you to play people who have a like score. If you choose to play people with a skill level like or above you your score will adjust (ai) so your score is driven down to play those people. We probably have 15 years experience on this app and over 500k games so we know the cycles in which you may fall. Simply put you dont get a real life experience but one in which the ai deems necessary for at that time. Pia0953.
This is a good backgammon game, better than most. The author claims that the game is honest, and the dice are random, at least random for computer; Im not in the position to debate that. However, we did play the game with real dice using the manual dice entry option(kudos to the author for including this option). The games are nowhere the same. With the computer generated rows, there are amazing far-fetched finishes. With with dice rolls, the amazing finishes rarely occur, much closer to real life. We also find that we lose many more games with the computer generator rolls. The chances of our winning with dice are significantly better. We dont know why this is the case, but we do know the computer does have an advantage with computer generated rules; so we have no idea where that advantage comes from. Regardless, this is one of the better backgammon games available.
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.
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.
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.
Whatever posts youll read, this is by far the best backgammon app by far to practice your skills. However, and that comes with the package, dont expect to get a fair fighting chance in Expert mode. The rolls are rigged, yes, and actually designed to keep you up on your toes for the worst possible outcome. You will face a ridiculous amount of 7 rolls and doubles. Just think of it as tough practice. If you play the computer on manual rolls in Expert Mode, you will see the difference. The computer obviously cant look at the upcoming rolls nor can it count on rolling 7 or high doubles. You will notice how less aggressive the computer attacks and how timidly it plays the doubling cube. The only problem with this app is the dishonesty of its developers. Their so-called AI in Expert mode is a fraud. If they would call it Worst case youd at least have a sense of what youre up against. Which is a shame because this is by far the smoothest and most addictive backgammon app on the market. Why not throw the players a bone and reduce the rage, and the number of times this app has been deleted and reloaded again? Oliver.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Love the app but of late games seem to stall midway. Not sure why. App continues to stall. Frustrating.
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.
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.
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. Ive 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.
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. Ive 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.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 7.0.2
- Size: 19.67 MB
- iOS: 15.4 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Jimmy Hu
Last updated: 6th October 2024 | Genre: Board, Entertainment | Developer: Jimmy Hu