iGammon App Reviews

Im kind of addicted to this app. I use it since my first iPhone, 3 years ago. Sometimes I feel it cheats on dices (but my older brother and biggest backgammon opponent has the same lucky frequently) so it helped me to improve my skills a lot. So right now I won around 50% to 60% of the 10/10 matches using a very defensive strategy.

This is B S

There is nothing I can write that hasnt been written here. This game laughs in the face of probability...plain and simple. It can be very frustrating. Aside from that its a fine game.

I downloaded this game based on the look and interface. For that alone, I should rate this game a 5. But after extensive analysis (first roll winners; percentage of doubles; etc), a variation of Diehard testing demonstrates that the chance of the dice NOT being rigged (even unintentionally) is less than 1 in 20. Even more telling is the Hints feature. If the game gives you a Hint that leaves you with an open piece, the (measured) odds are better than 9 in 10 that the AI will hit you. What is interesting is that if you take a hint, and completely ignore the advice of the game, the chance of an open piece being blotted drops to 3 in 10. Throw in a real random number generator, and this would be worth paying for, well if the Hints was improved also. I mean, who purposely leaves 5 blottable pieces in the end game?

Super unfair rolling of the dice. Everything falls in the favor of the computer. The odds are crazy what the computer rolls. Impossible!

Ignore all those negative reviews-this is a GREAT app! Im a very good player, with years of experience. Stop whining when the computer beats you, turn on its amazing tutor function, and shut up and learn something! Be grateful that Tom Keith is willing to turn you into an expert backgammon player for free! I play against the computer at the expert level, and Ive gotten to the point where I win about a third of the time, which sure wasnt the case when I started. Easy to use, great graphics, and yes, the dice are fair, whether you think so or not. If youre an intelligent person, and you want to have a great time while really learning to play backgammon, then this app cant be beat. But if youre a whiny baby who just wants to feel superior to a computer, then take a pass.

I play this game constantly. I find myself determined to beat the AI after accepting it has an extremely unfair advantage. The few games I kept track of after suspecting the rolls to be unfair proved (to myself) to be just that. At a rate of 6 doubles to my one, 8:1, 6:1, 7:1, and 5:1 I realized it was no match. Conveniently, when I did roll a double, 80% of the time I was blocked and unable to use it. Double four and Im stuck. Double 3 and Im stuck. If you like trying to beat unfavorable odds its fine. Otherwise, get a different game.

I would like the app if it were an honest game. It is frustrating that the comp al Oat always gets the roles it needs, and rarely do. Please fixit!

I just have the tutor warn me when I make big mistakes. Errors of less than 0.1 are too subtle for me to understand. I can get to 21 before the computer more often than not if I really concentrate. This will teach you when to double and when to decline. After practicing with this, I was able to win a match to 21 against my friend from MIT who got by one summer in Paris just by playing backgammon. I like peeking at the expected outcome move to move. Towards the end, when there are fewer pieces, I can calculate this value in my head. The board fills the screen when turned on its side. Lock the orientation that way when you start. It is easier to tap on the pips when they are bigger. A typical move takes four taps: one to roll, two to move, and one to tell the computer to move. Select the tap to move setting to have it behave that way. I have been enjoying Toms app from its earliest versions where you could keep on doubling beyond a billion and move the second piece while the first piece was still moving. His web site is filled with decades of backgammon articles and forum archives. Backgammon is his passion and you can feel that when you play his game.

Would be a 5 star rating based upon graphics but AI needs a serious update.

The board layout is nice and well thought out. Too bad the the dice seem to always roll in favor of the computer!!

I thought I was the only one to notice, but OMG this game cheats. I cant count how many times I have been sure I had the win (and I am no slouch at backgammon) only to find the AI had the PERFECT roll or rolls to get out if the situation and reverse the table on me. The odds are absolutely ASTOUNDING against, yet it will pull it off every time. Seriously… FIX THE FRIGGING AI! And to TOM, I call B.S. ! Seriously! I just played this game once to see if you fixed this PIECE OF GARBAGE EGO TRIP, and I had the AI with two uncovered, in my home, and I was working the last two pieces through. The AI rolled EXACTLY what was needed to trounce me. Left me with two in the back row while it bore off with 5 doubles in a row. I quit this game.

I have played backgammon for 30 years and have never seen cheating like this. Not only does the AI roll just what it needs it will also cause you to roll so that something is left open and, guess what, the AI rolls exact number needed to knock you. The person who made this is laughing all the way to the bank

Als strong by butt! This app cheats like no tomorrow! It rolls exactly what it needs, exactly when it needs it! The rolls are unfair! Its not a coincidence that it gets the perfect rolls it needs every time! Im with all the other people that HATE this game! I needed double sixes just to not get double gammoned but I got a 1 and a 2 while it got double sixes for no reason! It just likes to beat my butt off for no reason! If it didnt have such a simple layout that makes it fun/easy to play, I would delete it ASAP!

You will never win against the computer. Not a pleasure to play with this app. Computer cheats all the time.

I teach probability and statistics at the college level and can assure you that the dice rolls are not fair or random.

2 years since the last update. Come on guys at least fit the screen properly...

Plays Backgammon as you expect, but on the higher difficulty levels, it males it harder by cheating on the rolls versus increasing the AI difficulty. I have kept track over 25 games, and 72% of the time, when I am placed on the bar, I roll a worthless double 6 on my first roll. The AI, on the other hand, gets out on the first roll over 80% of the time regardless of how many points are actually open. This does not happen on the easier difficulty settings. So, good mechanics, but be prepared for some frustration. Woul also like to see stats of some sort. Deep stats would be nice, but there are no stats currently. Dice cheat excessively now. I remember why I quit using this app.

I inquired about the fairness of the dice in a letter to the developer. He did write me back and said the AI is based on a neural network and that it is 100% fair. Below is my letter in response. Thanks for the reply. I think your app is getting or has a bad reputation. Maybe the rolls are fair, but they dont "feel" fair. This perception of the game whether valid or not, is important. Ive played it, and my girlfriend has played it and we both felt and said out loud "this game cheats". Not only is this the way weve felt, but when reading the reviews they echo the same sentiment. There is even a review by a statistics professor calling foul, and a 35 year veteran that doesnt see the fairness of the rolls. Wanting to preserve this game, I think these true issues or matter of perception should addressed. The statement in game description that the game is fair is not enough. I personally think that it should be explained how and why its fair. It might also be worth considering a review of the dice algorithm. This, tending to peoples perception I believe is necessary to gain trust in the game. It could even issue a challenge, if people feel trust in the game and know its strong and fair they will try harder to beat it, instead like myself temped to, or have already deleted it in search of another game. Right now the game has a low star rating in the app store. I know backgammon will never be as big as angry birds, but I think there is potential for further financial growth as a developer, and player base.

Good gameplay and addictive, but the AI advantage is predictable and very frustrating. Ive learned a lot from the advanced mode but the rolls are clearly biased to the computer. Im looking for a new app.