Backgammon+

Good App, But Die Rolls Are Not Random (Tested!)

Overall, the app works well, and is easy to use. This is my favorite backgammon app as far as interface and design. When playing against hard AI though, it seems like die rolls are not random, with the computer often getting an amazing roll after offering 2x and I accept. That may just be the frustration of losing skewing my memory, but it also seems like matches start with a 4-2 roll more than any other. UPDATE: The seven matches I played after originally writing this review all started 4-2. Seven matches in a row is significant enough that it doesn’t seem random. I believe there’s a 13.3% chance of rolling a 4-2 combination on the opening throw. The chances of doing that seven times in a row is incredibly low. I wanted to test to see if I could reproduce this. I started a match, and rolled 4-2. I surrendered the rest of the games in the match, and started another. Doing this three times in a row resulted in three more 4-2 rolls to open each match. That totals ten matches in a row that have all started with a 4-2 roll. Either the developers are lying when they say die rolls are random, or the algorithm they’re using to randomize has a bug they aren’t aware of. There’s a good chance die rolls during the games are random, and only the first throw is not random. It’s hard to test randomness once you get into the game.

Algorithm favors the computer

When playing a one player game, the algorithm is set to give the computer what it needs to put your chip on the bar or get off the bar. While it takes several rolls for me to get off the bar it will only take the computer 1 to 2 rolls depending on the number of slots I have open. The computer might have 2 slots blocked and that is the numbers the I roll while I will have 1 slot open in the home area for the computer to use to get off the bar and it will roll that slot. The number of doubles also favors the computer. I normally only get them when I can’t use them. I had to laugh, I had 1 chip by itself in my home area. There was a stack of 6 beside it and I rolled a 1 & 6. No mater how I tried I couldn’t move a chip from the stack of 6 one spot to protect my vulnerable chip. I was close to winning. I had to move another chip that left 2 other chips in danger. Of course the computer landed on 2 chips and sent them to the bar and the computer won the game. It is amazing how the computer can be behind and get enough doubles to win the game. I have given up the on the idea of winning against the computer. Now I try to just get one chip in before the computer wins. It was too depressing to try to win, so I had to change my thought to I will try to get one chip in before the computer wins. That way I can laugh when I see the computer get multiple double rolls the the exact roll that it needs.

The Luckiest Rolls Ever

I normally do not write reviews however in the case of Backgammon from Apple Arcade I felt compelled to. This game is very fun and player friendly. My issue is when you are playing a single player game no matter the skill level the computer nearly always and I mean always roll the exact rolls needed to put a chip on the bar or roll in or to cover up. On the other hand I can’t roll a 3 to save my freaking life. The computer has two on the bar and only has two open BAM double 2. I had to uncover a chip but it’s ok the computer would need a 4 6 roll to come in and hit me BAM 46. This is on easy. I’m not a master backgammon player but I have been playing the majority of my life and I believe I should be able to win more than 2% of my single player matches on easy against the computer. Playing online against other players is fine and seems fair. Single player easy is just as hard as hard. That is my take.

COMPUTER’S “LUCKY” ROLLS

Although this app's interface and design surpass its rivals, I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the dice rolls awarded to the computer when playing solo mode. The moment in which one switches gameplay from medium to hard, there is not an increased accumulation of strategy but rather an outlandish influx of doubles and “lucky” rolls. The only way to attempt to prevail over the computer is never to leave a blot. The rolls "delivered" to the player render that feat impossible. With randomized dice rolling, that would make sense, and that is where strategy comes into play; however, 17 times out of 20, the computer is supplied with the perfect roll to hit a blot. Furthermore, whenever the AI leaves a blot, which it does numerous times, the player receives a roll in which it can hit one, 3 times out of 20. No matter how well your home board is covered, the AI gets off the bar every time in under 3 rolls. Alongside this, when it comes time to bear off, the computer is provided with perfect rolls and too many doubles of the correct number for it to be pure coincidence. So no matter how far ahead you might be, the computer overtakes you 16 times out of 20. I hope the creators can modify the advantageous AI dice rolling or fix the evidently flawed randomizing algorithm.

Mostly impossible

This backgammon game is great design-wise, although there should be choices for board colors, etc. However, the so-called AI is awful. I am a superb backgammon player and the only thing that happens if you choose higher levels of skill is that the computer gets consistently excellent rolls and you do not. Almost every single time i leave one piece exposed in the starting board, especially late in the game, the computer goes nuts and lands on that piece and follows up with round after round after round of me not being able to get back on the board. Meanwhile the computer gets perfect rolls the whole time, building an impossible blockade. And if the piece stuck on the bar gets to finally move to the board, it NEVER gets an opportunity to land on a stray piece, effectively ending the game. But you have to just painfully watch the whole thing unfold. This happened over and over so many times that it is obvious the human has no chance nearly every time. Occasionally i win, yes. But all the defeats are completely one-sided and statistically nearly impossible, if the dice rolls are in fact "random" which they clearly aren't.

One persons opinion

Updating this review to sound slightly less harsh. Probably not the best idea to write a review when you’re frustrated and tired at the end of a long day. I’ve read multiple comments from the developers claiming that the dice rolling is random and does not depend on anything that is happening at that point in the game but there are times when the AI system seems to have very lucky streaks when playing on the hard difficulty. These streaks have happened frequent enough to the point that it doesn’t feel random. The developers have been quick to provide feedback and the game functions ok. There is currently an issue where the game doesn’t update correctly with iCloud and you will be thrown back to a point midway through your last game when reopening the app. The interface is nice but I’m not sure if this app will be my go to backgammon app. Had higher hopes seeing that it was offered in the Apple Arcade but will likely search for a different app to see if I can find one that I like better.

Everything is great, but the complaints about rigged dice are real

My daughter and I have found an activity to share in backgammon, and this game is really fun to play with two human players. However, playing against the computer, I very often experience what other reviews have said. I started learning this game on the Switch, since my daughter found it in Clubhouse Games. We’re both newbs, and we trade wins a lot. When I play against the computer on the switch, I also trade wins a lot. Playing the computer in this game, I feel like I get my behind handed to me constantly. It’s not fun. The computer always gets what it needs to escape, while I end up forfeiting turn after turn. And if I’m actually ahead, the computer always seems to start rolling doubles. I get doubles when I got a checker stuck on the bar and can’t move. Anyway. Fun game for two people, not so fun playing against the computer.

“Easy” mode is WAY too difficult

I don’t know if it’s the luck of the computer player, like other reviewers are saying, but at the end of the day, easy mode should allow for a beginning player to learn the game. This is frustratingly difficult, even after playing for awhile. I love strategy games and play many of them, but this is insane. Whatever the issue, the computer isn’t dumbed down enough to be a realistic human competitor. *Especially* for easy mode. An “easy” competitor shouldn’t always notice and play the best move every time. That’s literally the point of having levels. Someone who is at a level 1/3 will occasionally miss the best move. Based on the other reviews, my guess is they need to toggle down the difficulty across the board to be more reasonable. If I’m playing easy mode, I want to play this game like I’m playing with an average person, not a skilled competitor. That should be saved for harder levels. And from what I’m reading harder levels are basically impossible.

Impossible for Single Player

I’ll start by saying the design and usability is nice. I wish you could choose to turn just the music off while leaving sound effects on. I’ve been playing backgammon since I was about 6 years old, have never used an app for it though, so I tried “easy” first. I’ve played maybe 8 games against the AI on easy and it is absolutely impossible to win. As other reviews have noted, the AI gets the EXACT right rolls to put you on the bar and keep you there over and over again. I’ve also noticed things like if I have one chip on the bar, there’s a bug where about half the time I can ONLY get my chip off the bar, even if the other die opens a different move for me after that, it automatically ends my turn. But it never does that to the AI. All in all it’s really not fun even for an experienced backgammon player. I’m surprised that a game like this is on Arcade, normally you only see these issues in cheap regular app store games.

Computer as Terminator

Basic gameplay in Medium is enjoyable—until about 2/3 through, which is when the computer kicks into “exact hit” mode. It’s impossible to have any single chips on the board, because the computer will strike them every time. It also then kicks into “no hits for you” mode if you’re on the bar. Game after game, you’ll sit on the bar with one, two, sometimes three slots open on the computer’s home row and NEVER roll what you need to resume play. If you do, it will only be a single slot, and you’ll promptly get knocked off again. It will stay this way until the computer gets all of its chips home— often meaning five, eight, or ten-plus turns in a row that you miss— until it starts bearing off. Then, “magically,” you’ll get a 5 or 6 and can finally get back into the game, which you’ll lose every time. PLEASE FIX THIS!!!

Apple Arcade Games - B. App Name: Backgammon+ Developer/Publisher: Adikus Release Date: April 2 2021. App Store Description: Backgammon is one...

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