Play Backgammon Online — Free, No Signup
BackgammonWorld is a free way to play backgammon — the oldest board game still played today — right in your browser. There is nothing to install and nothing to pay: open the board, pick a mode, and roll.
Play against the computer on three levels, invite a friend with a private link, pick an opponent from the live lobby, or build a friends list and challenge your favorite rivals directly. Every die is rolled by the server, not by your browser, and every move is checked against the official rules before it lands on the board. Online games count toward your own Elo rating. You can play everything as a guest; a free optional account (no email required) keeps your rating across devices and puts you on the leaderboard.
🎲 Dice You Can Trust
Nothing about the dice happens in your browser. The server rolls every throw with a cryptographic random generator and pushes the same result to both players at once, so no one can peek ahead, re-roll, or nudge the odds. Doubles give you four moves, and an unplayable roll is passed on automatically.
🤖 Play vs the Computer
Practice any time against the built-in engine. Choose Easy while you are learning, Medium for a fair fight, or Hard, which weighs every possible reply to all 21 dice combinations before committing. It understands the pip race, blots, primes and anchors — it will punish a loose checker.
🌍 Challenge a Friend Anywhere
Click Invite a Friend and you get a private game link. Send it over any chat app — when your friend opens it, you are instantly at the same board, even on different continents. If a connection drops, the game waits and lets the player rejoin right where the dice left off.
⚔️ Open Challenges Lobby
Find Opponent opens the live lobby: a list of real players waiting for a game, each with their name and rating. Join one with a single click, or post your own challenge and let someone come to you. In a hurry? Quick match pairs you with the next player searching.
👥 Friends List
Add friends by searching their username — or tap the ＋ next to your opponent's name right at the board. You'll see who is online, and one click on Challenge sends them an instant popup invitation. Perfect for ongoing rivalries with players you enjoyed facing.
🏆 Elo Ratings & Leaderboard
Every online game is rated with the same Elo system chess uses. You start at 1200 — beat stronger opponents to climb faster. Guests keep their rating in the browser; a free account keeps it on every device, tracks your record, and can put you in the public Top 25 leaderboard.
Ratings, Accounts and the Leaderboard
BackgammonWorld uses a hybrid identity model inspired by the big chess sites: you can play every single mode without registering. As a guest you still get a name and an Elo rating — it simply lives in your browser. Creating an account is optional, free, and takes ten seconds: pick a username and a password, no email needed. Your existing guest rating and game history come with you, work on any device you sign in from, and registered players appear in the Top 25 leaderboard with their full win/loss record. An account also unlocks the friends list, online-status indicators, and direct friend challenges.
Backgammon Rules Used on This Site
BackgammonWorld follows the standard rules. Each player starts with fifteen checkers spread over the twenty-four points and races them home in opposite directions, moving one checker per die. A point held by two or more enemy checkers is blocked; a lone checker is a blot and can be hit, sending it to the bar to start its journey again. While you have a checker on the bar you must bring it in before anything else may move. Roll doubles and you play that number four times.
You must use as much of your roll as possible: if only one number can be played but either would be legal on its own, the higher one is compulsory. Once all fifteen checkers are in your home board you may bear off — an exact roll takes a checker from that point, and a roll higher than your highest occupied point bears off from that point. The first player to bear off all fifteen wins: a plain win if the loser bore off at least one checker, a gammon (double game) if they bore off none, and a backgammon (triple game) if they also still have a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board. Play a quick single game, or a match to 3 or 5 points complete with the doubling cube and the Crawford rule — and remember, backgammon has no draws.
New to the game, or want to sharpen up? Read our full guide on how to play backgammon, the complete backgammon rules, the best opening moves with diagrams, and our backgammon strategy guide with the four game plans, priming, anchors, and winning tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is BackgammonWorld really free?
- Yes — completely free, with no download and no hidden fees. Every mode is playable without an account.
- Do I need an account?
- No. An account is optional and free (no email needed) — it keeps your rating across devices, unlocks the friends list, and puts you on the Top 25 leaderboard.
- Who rolls the dice, and can they be manipulated?
- The server rolls every die with a cryptographic random generator and sends the result to both players at the same time. No browser, and neither player, can influence or predict a roll.
- How does the rating system work?
- Every online game is rated with the Elo system. Everyone starts at 1200; winning gains points, losing costs points, and beating a stronger opponent gains more. Your wins, losses and recent games are tracked in your profile.
- How do I play backgammon with a friend?
- Two ways: click Invite a Friend and send the private link (works without any account), or add each other to your friends lists and challenge directly — your friend gets an instant popup, one click and the game starts.
- Are gammons and backgammons counted?
- Yes. If you bear off all fifteen checkers before your opponent bears off a single one, you win a gammon (double game); if they also still have a checker on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon (triple game). The result is shown on the final screen.
- Can I play on my phone?
- Yes. The board adapts to any screen size and works in every modern mobile browser.
- What happens if my opponent stops moving?
- Each move has a two-minute clock. If a player runs out of time or leaves, the other player wins.