Backgammonplay online against the computer, free
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Backgammon
Play the computer
Tap a checker, then a highlighted point. Free, no sign-up.
What is backgammon
The dice-and-strategy race game, played free online
Backgammon is a two-player game with 15 checkers each on a board of 24 points. You roll two dice, move your checkers toward your home board, hit any lone opposing checker, and bear all 15 off before the computer does. Luck sets the pace but skill wins the long run — it is quick to learn and endlessly replayable.
- Casual or Expert
- Pick a relaxed opponent to learn on or an Expert that always plays the best move it can find. Stats are tracked separately for each.
- Plays in your browser
- No download, no install, no plugins. playbackgammon.app runs on desktop and mobile, and a new game starts in one tap.
- Full rules, enforced
- Hitting, the bar, blocked points, doubles, the larger-die rule, bearing off, and gammon and backgammon scoring — only legal moves light up.
- Undo, hints, saved stats
- Undo within your turn, ask for a suggested move, and keep your wins, points, and streaks on your device — never on a server.
How to play
How to play backgammon
Backgammon is a race with a fight built in. Roll, move your checkers home, hit any lone opponent, and bear off all 15 before the computer does.
- 1
Read the board
The board has 24 narrow triangles called points, numbered 1 to 24 from your side. You play the ivory checkers and start with 15: two on your 24-point, five on your 13-point, three on your 8-point, and five on your 6-point. The computer plays red and mirrors the layout. You move counter-clockwise from the top right around to the bottom right, which is your home board (points 1 to 6).
- 2
Roll and move
Each turn you roll two dice and play each number as a separate move: with a 5 and a 3 you can move one checker 5 and another 3, or a single checker 8 in total. A point holding two or more opposing checkers is blocked; empty points, your own points, and points with a single opposing checker are open. Doubles let you play the number four times.
- 3
Hit and enter from the bar
Landing on a lone opposing checker (a blot) hits it and sends it to the bar. A player with a checker on the bar must bring it back into the opponent’s home board with a die roll before any other checker can move, and if the entry point is blocked that die is lost. If you cannot play a die you forfeit it; if you can only play one of two dice you must play the larger.
- 4
Bear off to win
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board you may bear them off: a die equal to a point’s number removes a checker from that point, and a larger die removes one from your highest occupied point if nothing sits farther back. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins — 1 point normally, 2 for a gammon, 3 for a backgammon.
Tips to win more games
- Make points, not blots. Two checkers on a point are safe and block your opponent; a lone checker within six pips of an enemy checker is a target.
- Build your home board early. Points 4, 5, and 6 (and the bar point, 7) are the most valuable places to hold when you hit the computer.
- Hit when it is cheap. Sending a checker to the bar costs your opponent pips and tempo, especially if you can cover the hit point safely.
- Try to link points into a prime. Six blocked points in a row cannot be jumped, and even four or five in a row cripples escape.
- Count pips. The player with the lower total is ahead in the race; if you are behind, play for hits and blocks, and if you are ahead, run for safety.
- Do not stack too many checkers on one point. Five or more on a single point is inflexible and wastes pips you could use to build structure.
- Use hint and undo to learn. Ask for a suggestion, see why it prefers that move, and undo any experiment within the same turn.
FAQ
Backgammon, answered
Straight answers about the free backgammon game you can play online in your browser.
What is backgammon?
Backgammon is a two-player board game that combines dice luck with real strategy. Each side has 15 checkers that travel around a board of 24 points toward a home board, hitting the opponent’s lone checkers on the way. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.
It is one of the oldest known board games, with ancestors going back several thousand years, and it is played today from casual games at home to international tournaments.
Is online backgammon free here?
Yes. playbackgammon.app is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to buy, download, or install, no real-money play, and no ads that interrupt a game.
Do I need to download an app or create an account?
No. The game is the website — a 100% browser-based build with no app store download and no sign-up. Your stats are saved locally in your browser, so there is no login to remember.
How do you play backgammon?
Roll two dice and move your checkers toward your home board, using each die as a separate move. You may land on empty points, your own points, or points with a single opposing checker (which you hit and send to the bar). Points with two or more opposing checkers are blocked.
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, bear them off. First to bear off all 15 wins.
What happens when my checker is hit?
It goes to the bar, and you must enter it into the opponent’s home board with a die roll before you can move anything else. If the entry point for a die is blocked by two or more of their checkers, that die cannot be used to enter. If neither die works, you lose the turn.
How does bearing off work?
You can start bearing off only when all 15 of your checkers are in your home board. A die equal to a point number removes a checker from that point. If you roll a number higher than your farthest-back checker, you may bear off from your highest occupied point instead. Smaller numbers must be played inside the board.
What are a gammon and a backgammon?
A normal win is worth 1 point. If you win while the opponent has not borne off a single checker, that is a gammon and scores 2 points. If they have also left a checker on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon and scores 3 points. This game tracks your total points won by level.
What happens if I can only play one die?
If a legal way exists to play both dice you must play both. If only one die can be played, you must play the larger one whenever either could be played. The game applies this automatically and only highlights checkers with a legal move.
Is backgammon luck or skill?
Both. The dice decide each roll, so a weaker player can win any single game, but over many games the player with better decisions — safe plays, good blocking, correct hitting — wins consistently. That mix is why it is easy to learn and hard to master.
What is a pip count?
A pip count is the total number of points all your checkers still need to travel to bear off. A checker on your 6-point counts 6, on the bar counts 25, and so on. The lower total is ahead in the race. The HUD shows your count and the computer’s at all times.
Does the game save my progress?
Your games played, wins, gammons, points, best streaks, and mute preference are saved locally in your browser for both Casual and Expert levels. Nothing is sent to a server. A game in progress is not saved, so finish or resign before you close the tab.
Can I play backgammon on mobile?
Yes. The layout is built for touch: tap a checker, then tap a highlighted point. The board fits a phone screen in portrait, with roll, undo, hint, and new game buttons right below it.