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Game Instructions & Description
How to Play Backgammon
Play backgammon online for free against the computer or a friend in this browser version made by the CrazyArcade team. Each side has 15 checkers on 24 points. You play light and move toward your home board in the bottom right, then bear your checkers off. An opening roll of one die each decides who starts, and after that each turn you roll two dice and move one checker per die. Doubles are played four times. You can land on any point holding no more than one enemy checker. Landing on a lone checker hits it and sends it to the bar, and a checker on the bar must re-enter the opposing home board before anything else moves. You must use both dice when possible, and the larger die when only one can be played. Click a checker and a glowing target, or drag it, and use Undo until you press Done. Pip counts for both sides are shown in the panel. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins 1 point. If the loser has borne off none, it is a gammon worth 2 points, and if the loser also has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, it is a backgammon worth 3. The Easy computer plays with some randomness, while Hard scores every legal play by pip count, made points, primes and blot safety. Wins against the computer are saved in your browser.
Controls & Interaction
Mouse / Tap: click a checker, then a glowing target Drag: drag a checker onto a glowing target Space / R: roll the dice Arrow keys: cycle through movable checkers or targets Enter / Space: pick the highlighted checker or target Enter: finish the turn when all dice are used U / Backspace: undo the last move this turn Esc: cancel the selection N: start a new game
Pro Tips to Win
- Watch the pip counts in the panel. If you are well ahead in the race, avoid contact and run your back checkers home.
- A lone checker within six points of an enemy checker is easy to hit. The Hard computer counts how many rolls can hit each of your blots, so try to move in pairs.
- If you make a mistake, use Undo before pressing Done. You can take back every move of the current turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why can't I move a checker I want to move?
A: The game only allows legal plays. If one of your checkers is on the bar it must enter first, you can only bear off once all 15 checkers are home, and you must play both dice whenever any legal sequence allows it, or the larger die if only one can be used.
Q: How are points scored?
A: A normal win is 1 point. A gammon, where the loser has not borne off any checkers, is 2 points. A backgammon, where the loser also still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, is 3 points. Points are totaled for your current visit and wins against the computer are saved in your browser.
