True Backgammon

True Backgammon is absolutely one of the best backgammon apps on iOS. I would rank this one right up there with Backgammon NJ and XG Mobile. This one has the cleanest interface of the three, best boards, world class AI and fair dice. No glitzy graphics and ads. The in app purchases are totally worth it and if you want to play on the same device or online against others that is all there. I would like to see a clock option to simulate matches irl and like online on Galaxy and perhaps a real time evaluation engine option but even if these things aren’t implemented it is a near perfect app. Icing on the cake would be a built in clock and score card to use for live backgammon matches but this is probably outside of scope of what this app is trying to be. Developer support is up to date and communicative too. In any case I highly recommend this one. I only have 5 BG apps on my phone after sifting through the sea of apps out there. True Backgammon is on par if not a notch above NJ for general play and features. XG is probably best for analysis. Galaxy best for online timed matches against strong opponents and BG Buddy for my scorecard and clock.

This is a great app (that does NOT cheat - more on that below) except for several basic but much needed improvements. Fix these and I’ll change it to 5 stars with a glowing review: 1) The New Match button should immediately start a new match using the current settings (otherwise it serves no purpose). I shouldn’t have to move over to the other screen and specify the type of match every single time. 2) There should be an option to show the pip counts right on the board or next to it. 3) The undo button should be right next to the board (at least optionally). 4) In the mode where you tap to move, I should be able to tap anywhere on the stack of checkers. I shouldn’t have to tap on the top checker. 5) The indicator that shows where I can move a checker to should also show which checkers I can move. 6) When the doubling cube is turned off, there should be an option to have the app roll my dice automatically after the opponent moves. 7) The board slides side to side way too slowly. It shouldn’t take so long to go to the settings menus and back (especially since I have to go to them every time I need to check pip counts, undo a move, or start a new match). 8) In Human vs Human mode, it should either let you enter the players’ names or it should say what color the checkers are on the scoreboard. Just calling them “Dark” and “Light” doesn’t work for the Metal board design or for most of the paid board designs since the two colors are equally dark. I have worked with randomization algorithms myself and can say that no, the app does NOT cheat by biasing the dice or looking ahead at them, and it has features that fully prove this. So you can ignore reviews that claim otherwise. People have been making such false accusations against trustworthy backgammon apps for decades. Look up the article “Does Your Bot Cheat?” by Bill Robertie.

I am going to cease playing your game. I have been playing in advanced mode now for several days and am amazed at how frequent it hits the open piece, how frequent the AI generates the perfect role of dice. So many times have I witnessed the AI roll the dice to hit the one and only open point. I have witnessed the same when two pieces are on the bar with two open points available and the AI roll hits it perfectly. Yet the player roll rarely hits an open AI piece or point. Your comments to other users is to use the roll your own dice feature. With that feature I can select the dice number to land on whatever point I chose. That’s not how the game works.....but it’s exactly how the program AI works. I would like to see a pure game, without beginner, intermediate or advanced. No gimmicks. Despite what the developer says, the dice are rigged. When an opposing token is open the game hits it....often. When a game token is on the bar and all points are covered except for one the game dice roll hits it....again....often. Many times there are two points out of the six that are open with multiple tokens on the bar....and guess what, the game dice roll hits the two open point and both tokens are back in play. It’s a beautiful board though with a great user interface. With dice games, the outcome is always a game of chance when playing on a real board with a human opponent. The dice roll is rigged on a software game since most of the backgammon games have a beginner, intermediate and advance gameplay option. Why all developers do this is baffling. Just play the game with random dice On every roll.