Backgammon NJ 4+

Jimmy Hu

    • $4.99
    • Offers In-App Purchases

iPhone Screenshots

Description

● GAME CENTER -- Play online, chat, invite friends, auto-match with random players
{ Real-time } Play online in real-time
{ Turn-based } Play online at your own pace
● VERSATILE -- Play offline vs. computer or against another person in 2-player mode
● CUSTOMIZABLE -- More options than any other backgammon app

Play & learn backgammon at skill levels ranging from beginner to world-class!

Backgammon NJ is a full-featured game which uses an advanced, neural network-based, artificial intelligence. Play against a computer AI, another person in 2-player mode on one device, or online against friends & other players. Using Tutor Mode & Hints, Backgammon NJ can show you how to improve your game!

Discriminating players will appreciate how well the AI plays. It uses a neural network trained on millions of positions, a bearoff database, & a match equity table to achieve strong gameplay that will challenge even expert players.

REVIEWS

"[I] know strong bg play when I see it. This app is the strongest iPhone bg app I've played with by far. It does not cheat period. ...Analyzing these matches with eXtreme Gammon confirms a world class level of play with normal luck factors. If you are losing, get over it. So would 99.9% of the other backgammon players in the world. It is just that good. Learn from it." -Richard Munitz, Giant of Backgammon, #21 world ranking in 2009

"Backgammon NJ plays at an extremely high level with an excellent interface, and I often use it to practice on my iPhone when I am traveling. I recommend it highly to my students and friends." -Phil Simborg, Professional Backgammon Teacher and Player, www.mindgamescenter.com

"I've played over 500 games now; I've checked about 5% of these against World Class Desktop programs (GNU, BGBlitz); and I've actually used some of the competition. NJ has the best interface and has more useful functions than any other backgammon apps out there."

"For serious backgammon players, Backgammon NJ is the way to go." -Macworld.com, May 2012

IS THIS GAME RIGHT FOR YOU?

This game is best for people:

• Who recognize the strength of neural network backgammon bots
• Who want to improve their game by playing against a world-class level AI
• Who will use the in-depth, technical features included in the app to prove that it is honest (https://www.njsoftware.com/note.html)
• Who won't expect to win consistently on the higher skill levels

FEATURES

• Neural network-based AI
• 2 game types: Standard Backgammon or Nackgammon
• 4 skill levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert
• Customizable board design & checker colors
• Mersenne Twister algorithm for random number generation
• Doubling cube
• Single games or match play up to 25 points
• Crawford rule for match play
• 1-player mode vs. computer
• 2-player mode on one device
• Game Center: Play real-time or turn-based online matches with friends & other players
• Chat with your online opponent
• Online Elo & Experience leaderboards
• Block list for auto-match
• User-friendly, tap-to-move interface
• Highlighted checker movement options
• Hint & Undo
• Learn with Status Meter & Tutor Mode
• Game & dice stats, including Elo rating & ER
• Match info: GnuBG ID, win chances, equity, top 10 moves, & cube decisions
• Email match files
• Practice mode with unlimited undo (1-player vs. computer)
• Manual match recording mode with unlimited undo & speed mode option
• Options to reverse board direction, resign, use one-tap moves, auto bearoff, auto finish, use Jacoby rule, & much more
• Match analysis (in-app purchase): Analyze past match files, view moves & errors for match, step through match, jump to position, play from position, save match files permanently

IMPORTANT

• If an online match ends for any reason, you'll receive the Elo pts you deserve. FAQ: https://gamecenter.njsoftware.com
• Contact us for help: https://contact.njsoftware.com

What’s New

Version 6.3.8

v6.3:
- Fixed turn-based invite crash
- Fixed bug where offline match progress would be lost in some cases after exiting a turn-based match
- Minor bug fixes

v6.3.8:
- Fixed issue running app on iOS 10.x devices

Ratings and Reviews

4.4 out of 5
1.2K Ratings

1.2K Ratings

Maxx! ,

Overall solid, couple things that bother me a lot

Overall solid app. Turn based multiplayer is great, and helpful but tutorials. I’ve used this app and then deleted it and then came back to it,mostly because of a few smaller things that’d make this really worth the money:
Wish the Animation of checkers was smoother in regular play, pretty abrupt movements right now.
the auto finish I wish it could go slower and respect the same animation so you can actually see how the game finishes (hard to tell what each roll is)
In multiplayer chat, you should be able to send a message after your turn. It’s annoying you can’t type a message after your turn.

pacer1234567 ,

Rock Solid. Thanks for manual dice mode...

Used to be a fan - not so much anymore. Users' experience is that the game cheats and developers response is that users are not as good as they think. WRONG. Developer ignores the subjective user experience, which is just bad business.

Overall I like the game and have played thousands of games. I think the flaw in AI design is the 4 levels: easy, medium, hard, expert. The only way to pragmatically make these levels appear to act progressively more advanced is to choke or open the competitive advantage granted to the computer (in my opinion). Regardless, the end result is well described by hundreds of users and that is a bias that the game feels as if it has an unrealistic advantage. This can get tiresome. NOTE computer rolls 7s to enter board from bar like crazy. To compete you should avoid being uncovered on 7.

The developer should spend some energy trying to address this common user observation because just as he asserts that his game does not cheat, I would like to assert that all of the users' experiences cannot be dismissed either. So I believe there is room for improvement - but I also imagine it would be a tremendously difficult programming problem to solve.

Developer Response ,

The app is honest & has random rolls. Proofs here: http://www.njsoftware.com/note.html

Bigkidsdad ,

Excellent game impossible rolls for computer

Read reviews thought many were sour grapes poor backgammon players but have to say after playing over 3100 games whether I am a horrible backgammon player or not it is impossible for the computer to get “out” as quickly as it does with one opening when my player can be bumped for 5-7 turns with three slots open as often as it does. My win percentage hovers around 35% on expert which is a trigger number for “hope” in most studies for failure. Again I may be a miserable backgammon player but I can tell you the roll the computer will get when I leave an open chip or have computer bumped more then not. Would love to see computer get locked like I do with 50% open slots but after 3100+ games it is not likely to happen. Empirically the game cheats and that is not because I lose but because I have yet to see it run into a stream of bad rolls like I get (and anyone would get if playing a regular game). I have seen the “risk management” arguments and I dismiss them because it is not about losing (I have a friend who pummels me when we play about the same as the computer and I can get him on a bad run of rolls like I get, not the computer). Anyhow it seems by reading the reviews the developer has no interest in “fixing” this so play and enjoy if u can.

Developer Response ,

The app is honest & has random rolls. Proofs here: http://www.njsoftware.com/note.html

App Privacy

The developer, Jimmy Hu, has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

No Details Provided

The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

Supports

  • Game Center

    Challenge friends and check leaderboards and achievements.

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