Backgammon Classic Board Live Reviews

by Renko_is

Of the Backgammon apps, this one seems to be more random when playing against BackgammonClassicBoardLive . But there are times when it goes into a crazy mode and makes rolls that seem impossible. And when playing other players online, the rolls seem pretty random until certain players are encountered. Those players seem to have the ability to make perfect rolls whenever needed. I just encountered one of those players. I know him or her well because he or she often pops up. Tonight, I finally had that player pinned down. That player literally had no moves left. That player still had two pieces in jail and could only get them out by rolling sixes. And that player then rolled sixes. But I continued and had that player in a position in which he or she could only roll double fours to advance. And that player immediately rolled two fours. I have faced off with that player many times now. It is impossible to beat that player because that player always has perfect roles. If that had only happened a few times, I would just think it is a coincidence. But it happens every time I play that person. That person is the luckiest individual in the world or he is the developer or a friend of BackgammonClassicBoardLive developer. Sadly, this is still more fair than the other Backgammon apps. I am still amazed that no one seems to be able to create a Backgammon app that really has random roles. The more you play it, the more you realize it is not random at all and some players are favored.

by Scuba1021

Update: if you enjoy frustration and being demoralized, then BackgammonClassicBoardLive is for you. I keep using this Backgammon app because I prefer the interface over other apps available on BackgammonClassicBoardLive store. The amount of times the computer rolls doubles compared to me is heavily skewed towards the computer. I'm talking 80/20 skewed. Also the amount of convenient rolls the computer gets is ridiculous. The computer will leave three checkers completely wide open only to see me roll something completely inopportune. Find another app.

After playing thousands of matches against the computer on BackgammonClassicBoardLive, I have come to the conclusion that the rolls are not random. If you leave a checker open, the computer WILL roll a move that allows them to knock you, however depending on the difficulty, they may choose not to. For example, if I leave a checker open on easy, more often than not the computer’s next roll will allow them to knock me, but they may or may not take advantage of the situation. On medium, they will more than likely take advantage, and on hard, the computer will demoralize you just when you think you have them pinned. They will even leave their own checkers open anticipating that I will not have a roll that would allow me to knock them. I wanted to use a backgammon app to improve my game, but the playability is very unrealistic. Look elsewhere for a decent backgammon app.

by GraceNeary

I love BackgammonClassicBoardLive except for the if/than results. The developers swear the dice are random....that may be partially true. However, I tracked the doubles for 12 games out of the 12 games the player opposite me rolled doubles 61 times and I rolled doubles 46 times. There is only a 1% chance of winning any more games than the opposing player. Of the doubles I rolled, many were not as advantageous of rolls as the opposite player. I then played a live game with my friend and the real life play had us at pretty much equal over 8 games. Yes, random games, one or the other had more doubles than the other...however over the total of 8 games it was rather even. I believe the games had many if/than statements built into the game. I am also wondering if the dice ARE true random for me and not for the other player.

It’s unfortunate because it’s the best game out there because you don’t have the purchase of coins and additional monies you constantly have to buy. However those are clearly rigged games. I purchased the AD free version so I don’t think the favorable dice rolls are tied to whether or not you purchased AD free. Some of the players have as many as 10-14k in playing chips, not sure how they got that far in wins...must be the bots. Frustrated because I would love to understand the behind the scenes of building this game and try to gain an understanding as to why it has to be rigged this way.

by D Gr8 Playr

Unfair dice rolls in favor of the computer 6-7 games out of one, no matter how good of player you are‼️ The way that dice rolls have been programmed in this game, when you play against the computer, is extremely unfair and annoying‼️ For instance, all of your spaces are closed except for #4 but the computer has only one space closed up and that is #1... Now, you hit one the computer’s checkers! On the very first dice 🎲 roll, the computer gives itself #4 and not only that but it finds your empty checker and hits it. Then, it asks you that if you wanna double the bet! You look at the board and according to ALL professional players you have 95% chance to win! So, you accept because if you don’t, you’ll lose automatically anyway... As soon as you accept, no dice sits on your favor! You need any space to sit but #1, but the computer gives you double ones, one after each other. Meanwhile that you’re waiting, the computer hits not only whatever single checker you have, but also closes up all of its spaces and wins the game most of the time by gammon.... Long story short, very annoying and frustrating app that will make you quite angry 😡! You don’t build any skills and it’s a waste of time‼️ 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

by D <33333

I NEVER leave game reviews because usually it’s not that serious but I feel anyone considering this game needs to know— BackgammonClassicBoardLive cheats more than any game I’ve ever played in my entire life. I’ve played several PC and console games (RPG, FPS, etc.), I played this (backgammon) game on PC and with people in person. Never have I ever dealt with the foolishness I have suffered at the hands of BackgammonClassicBoardLive. Just after it offers to double it rolls the perfect amount to Put you in jail. Once it lands you in jail, you can’t get out for several turns. Say you’re both bearing off and you have two pieces left and it has 3-4 pieces left? It rolls doubles. It got to the point where I had to delete it or risk breaking my phone out of rage (which I have never felt the desire to do with any other game). My boyfriend downloaded the game on the iPad I got him for his birthday. I was hesitant but then I thought maybe it Had been updated (been years since I had the game on my phone). Boy was I wrong. I’ve never seen my abnormally patient boyfriend get as upset as he did when playing this game. I’ve never heard him accuse any game or app of cheating until he used this one. Download ANY other backgammon app. DO NOT EVER USE THIS ONE IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY. 0/5 if I could.

by Angela72g

I’ve heard of backgammon, but have never played or seen it played. I thought it might be worth trying it out and learning how to play it. Obviously I set the difficulty level to easy and had hints on. On EASY, I’ve gotten ‘creamed’ every time. The hints: it just makes a play for you so fast you really don’t even know what happened. It isn’t a suggestion; no explanation as to why it’s a good move, nothing. I would expect the hint to be letting me see what it says is the best move, and letting me decide if I want to do that or not. Being able to see the computer’s option and know what the move was - I might could possibly learn good game strategy.
And it is frustrating that the computer, at least most of the time, seems to roll exactly what it needs. At the start, going through all 19 screens of how to play the game, absolutely nothing was mentioned about the opponent “offering a double.” So, that pops up in the game - I don’t know what that means.
By the brief explanation of how to play at the beginning, backgammon seems like it would be a cool game - and a good strategy game like chess or checkers. This may be a good app for experienced players, but definitely not for people trying to learn how to play.

by Ameliacigim

I agree with all reviewers who gave low ratings regarding incredible rolls while playing against BackgammonClassicBoardLive . I have noticed that when you delete BackgammonClassicBoardLive and re-upload, app rolls are truly random. As you play more against BackgammonClassicBoardLive and once it understands your level of playing this game is high after 3-4-5 matches, it starts rolling annoyingly perfect. It keeps you open up and roll 3 times in a roll with the same worst possible combination while it closes up on you with the same best possible combination 3 times in a row. When you have four five closed spots in your jail and BackgammonClassicBoardLive has 1 closed spot in its jail with its 1-2-3 chips on the bar, starts rolling incredibly and all of a sudden you are 6 doors behind the jail and lose by 3 games, if not by 6. It is fine to lose against BackgammonClassicBoardLive fair and square, but this algorithm ruins your appetite. No matter what, design, sounds, speed etc is pretty good. I almost hear the developer saying, “guess what, if you don’t like it, don’t play with it” and s/he is right. However, never ever give BackgammonClassicBoardLive a 1-star review, if you are planning to keep BackgammonClassicBoardLive , since it will screw you left and right, from that point forward. Funny!

by LanceG 1968

I’ve been playing backgammon for over 40 years. I understand the computers are programmed by people sometimes those people don’t use common sense. This particular game is fun and it’s difficult at times for a myriad of reasons. You’re the biggest reason that I have trouble with this game and I’m about to remove it from my phone, is because it essentially equates to cheating. Let me explain, I’m not a sore loser and I do not mind losing to a game to people it doesn’t matter, I except losing with all things are equal. This game however has a glitch which is simply this whenever the computer needs the perfect role it gets it exactly. For example if I am uncovered and there’s only two spaces to capture me the computer rolls or two every time it’s frustrating because that’s not how real life works. Most of the time when playing backgammon or the version that I like which is called Acey Ducey you never roll what you need. Information I find it inconceivable that the computer rolls exactly what it needs every single time without fail and is able to win over and over and over because of it. What is the sense in having three settings easy normal and hard with all three of the same result. So if you were thinking about downloading BackgammonClassicBoardLive please read this review and understand that you are fighting a war you cannot win and you will get frustrated knowing that the computer is rolling dice combinations it would never get that often.

by Fathomdesign

Rigged, but not in the sense of it caring who wins. It doesn’t are who wins and it can end up rigged for either player. You’re probably reading this like, “what are you even talking about?” I’ll explain... the numbers given out by the dice aren’t random... as in, BackgammonClassicBoardLive does not produce random numbers and whatever it rolls is essentially predetermined by the previous roll(s). Once you’ve played the game enough, you’ll notice this.... No, you’re not suddenly psychic, you’re just able to call out the next dice roll once the game starts going because you’re recognizing memorized patterns. Not only does this take a lot of the fun out of the game, but these developers somehow failed to produce one of the easiest things anyone can program; a random number generator... Every single roll should be derived by a random number generator and not the result of a sequence of patterns. Nobody should know for certain if they’ll win or lose depending on which pattern is chosen. The only thing random is the first roll and the decisions of the players... other than that, it’s a sequence of patterns; not random.

by AOK 1968 1723

You lose against players with 10k + points most of the time. BackgammonClassicBoardLive obviously generates income from ads, which is fine. So the more u play, the better the rolls. Statically impossible rolls are a constant. Don’t get upset. Just know in a real game you would have destroyed the player. The “winner” knows it too. It becomes instantly obvious when the computer decides the “winner” five rolls into the game. I actually have fun predicting the next roll. I’m correct 80% of the time. I teach my kids to play and we have a laugh at the predictability of the game. Also, computer always puts you on a losing streak every couple of days. 10 games in a row is normal. Some opponents have zero knowledge and skill, but “beat” you regardless. Just have to ride it out. Don’t get upset and lose points by quitting. Also, when the players have 10k points or more, never accept their double. Their skill level is irrelevant, they just play incessantly and BackgammonClassicBoardLive rewards them by letting them win with impossible rolls. So stay cool and have fun. At least there is no pressure to buy stuff.

by Atl-Sam

I consider myself a good backgammon player; not expert, but nowhere near a novice, either. So for the first six months or so, this was a decent app for single-player mode. I won my fair share and lost a fair number of games... but lately, things have been in a downturn. At first, I noticed that whenever I would be ahead and double, instead of surrendering, as had been the case, the computer accepted. Even when the pip count was highly favorable to me, like 140 to 60, the computer accepted - and ALWAYS won. Over time, it become apparent that the algorithm was heavily favoring games to allow the computer to win. So I started keeping track of wins and losses. The result? Over a three month period, I played 291 games, of which the computer won 168. That’s a 58% winning ratio, not too bad. But whenever the human player (me) was up by the middle of a set, the computer won 92 out of 124 games... that’s a 74% winning ratio! For a computer!

It gets very old playing against an opponent who, being down 4-0, comes back to beat you 6-4, and does so 75% of the time or more. If you want a decent game for single player mode, for a short (no more than six months) time, it’s okay. But for something longer and with challenging games, don’t waste your time downloading this one.

by FrOzEnYoGuRtGiVeSmEbRaInFrEeZe

This game is fun to play when you can play in person with friends and don’t have an actual backgammon board handy. Although, it seems that whenever I play against the computer even in easy mode, and random opponents in single player mode I constantly lose by a long shot. My friend taught me how to play this game who is an absolute wizard at this so I considered myself a pretty good player when I would actually beat him from time to time. So for me to lose so badly do a computer on easy mode when it gets doubles or the perfect roll to hit me out basically every other move, it makes the game not as enjoyable. Obviously with covid I can’t play with my friend in person and it’s difficult for us to play online, this game has just made me irritated and makes me think my luck is so bad. Except I highly doubt my luck can be that bad every single time I play.
Sorry I basically ranted in this entire thing, but if you don’t have someone to play with in person or online easily, or want to be irritated by a stupid online game, don’t consider downloading this.

by Broadband Jag

I disagree with the other review writer. I have played almost all of the free backgammon apps and this one is just ok. The rolls are definitely not random and the more you play the more you will notice the impossibility that the perfect roll for the competitor just “happens” to show up after you have received a roll that forces you to leave a chip open. It’s not random. It’s agitating but it’s better than some of the other apps that flat out cheat. How likely in a game is it that a competitor will get 4 rolls of the same double in the same game? I lost track of how many times that has happened.
It’s a bummer not to be able to find a backgammon app that just plays.
This one will also force you into a move when you have other options. This only occurs when you have a chip on the bar. That’s cheating and it’s a bummer.
I have no problem losing to a player with a better strategy or legitimately better rolls but I’ve played it enough that I am now able to predict the roll the competitor will get. It’s sad. BackgammonClassicBoardLive is unfortunately just like the others, just not as bad with fixed dice. Not the best app.

by BadaBoomBadaBing55

I have been playing backgammon for many years, mostly with the BGNJ HD app which is well worth a look at as it has so many cool things that you can do with it. But I decided to try another backgammon app. just for the sake of it. I cannot get enough of playing BackgammonClassicBoardLive. It’s fast and the best part is that you have to make your move within a short timeframe, else the computer will make the move for you. This forces other players to really concentrate (like not taking time out to visit the bathroom) while you loose time being able to play more games. Another huge advantage of BackgammonClassicBoardLive is that you get to play players at all levels. If a player does not want to play the game with you, s/he can only resign and you are credited with more points for your overall player score. My game has really improved because I have been playing much more advanced players and have watched closely how they play. BackgammonClassicBoardLive is purely for the fun of playing with others all over the world with minimum fuss.

by PhotoBarb

I’ve enjoyed this backgammon game. No annoying ads either. The only glitch I’ve seen preventing a 5 star review is on some occasions I’ve had rolls that allowed me to take a piece off of the bar and send one of the opponent’s pieces to the bar and BackgammonClassicBoardLive quickly rolls the dice of the opponent as if I didn’t have a play. At first I thought it was my mistaking what was on my rolled dice, but I noticed it a few more times. This last time I clearly saw I rolled a 5 and a 4, and I could come off of the bar with the 4 and send the opponent’s single piece on the 4 spot to the bar. It quickly rolled the opponent’s dice without my touching the phone and it made a move, skipping my play. So I think my other observations were correct. It’s happened about 4 times, always when coming off of the bar and sending the opponents to the bar. Some type of glitch in the rolling algorithm that checks if I have a valid play.

by Aclèreeee

When starting to play against the machine, one will lose about 80% if not more of the time, in a very predictable manner. The machine will pick off any singletons, and start filling up at homebase. You might get a roll, but the roll is one in which you have to leave a guyVulnerable. There is no other option! In the machine has their guys perfectly placed to pick you off, The machine likes to have two or three guys that you were struggling to get through their homebase, it isSlightly frustrating. I have played for a really long time, and now I have adjusted my play a little bit, I don’t know if the machine has changed or whether the way I play is different, But now I win more often. That makes it a little more fun. The only reason that it does not get a five is that it is addicting, And I waste too much time playing it! But the games are quick against the machine, and that is something that I like.

by Photo58

While I believe this is a great game and a nice app. When you play as a single player the game always seems to get the roll it needs to win or to put you up on the bar. It always find the roll it needs to do what it wants. That is the only complaint I have with this game. Random I believe not since it always gets what it needs. BackgammonClassicBoardLive is in no way random rolls. For this game to get what it needs every time, that is no way random. Whomever thinks this game is random roll, they must be out of their mind. This game will get it whatever it needs to block or put you on the bar. Whenever you have a piece open, no matter where you are on the board, it will get the roll to hit your piece and block you from entering. Since I know this know going in, I just laugh and play. But to even think this is an even playing field, not a chance in hell. And the review you have from DeafRabbit must be from an employee of your, cause that is complete BS about the random roll.

by PeacefulStreet

I have truly enjoyed playing backgammon on BackgammonClassicBoardLive. It is aesthetically pleasing to look at, it’s easy to move the pieces, and it seems to have very true random dice rolls. I play the computer if I feel like I might be interrupted, because I can stop and start that game as I choose. The computer opponent is quite good, and has helped me develop my game. I enjoy immensely playing against other people from all over the world.

My one criticism, which I saw in someone else’s review as well, is that it is not possible to play a five or seven point match with the same opponent. It is also not possible to re-double the doubling cube. Both of these features I really enjoy in real life games, and do feel that it is the one missing part of BackgammonClassicBoardLive. Finding the exact right moment to double or readable your opponent is a key part of the strategy and should be included. Regardless of this, this is a great app for backgammon players of all levels.

by San Fran Tam

This is a great game that is easy to access. I love how I can invite a friend and play live. While I hear the others about being rigged I’m not quite sure I agree. I have also played this game for many years and yes sometimes the computer does appear to be very lucky with rolls, I do feel it is random. It’s not necessarily that you can predict the rolls but more that the streak seems extremely lucky. However, I have also had running lucky streaks. I mean when you are at a craps table and your rolls are keep going your way, are you also rigging the dice?

If I felt this game were rigged to the point of not being fun, I wouldn’t keep coming back to play the thousands of times that I have and will continue to do. For a free app you can’t beat it. Not to mention there are way, way less advertisements on BackgammonClassicBoardLive than any others I play in my opinion.

by Clucky Duck

Deleted game due to expert level on the computer having way too many good rolls at just the right time. One more thing to show how dishonest the rolls are is that tone deaf rabbit gave an amazing review with four stars but others have given a higher rating so how is it that this review is always on top. Yet again the fix is in! Also,
In order to increase the difficulty of a game one should not substitute highly improbable dice rolls instead one should improve the statistical play of the AI. It is infuriating to see the AI come up with dice rolls that magically get the stone off the bar when space is mostly covered. Further, it is even more frustrating to see your own dice rolls alway come up on covered spaces when they only have two spaces covered. Then to top it off, the dice rolls seem to never get you off the bar if the AI has a chance to cover all the spaces. Also the number of doubles increases when playing the highest level. I have seen many instances where the AI will roll box cars and get from the bar back to home. I have also seen many occurrence where the AI will roll the correct combination to send two or more stones to the bar.