Backgammon
Bear off all fifteen checkers before your opponent does — either by rolling two dice, or by picking two cards from your hand in Card Sprint, a variant that replaces the roll with a choice.
Overview
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games still played, and the version here gives you two ways to take a turn. Classic Dice is the game as you know it: roll two dice, move by those values. Card Sprint is the mode this build was designed around — instead of rolling you hold a hand of cards and pick two of them to create your turn values, so a bad roll becomes a decision rather than an accident. Both modes share the same board, the same race, and the same rules for hitting, blocking and bearing off. You can play either against three levels of computer opponent or against a real person online, and a browser player and an Android player can share the same board.Goal
Move all 15 of your checkers around the board into your home board, then bear them off. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game.
Card Sprint
Pick two cards from your hand to create the turn values, then move using those values just like dice. Matching cards such as 2-2, 4-4, or 6-6 count as doubles and give four moves. Aces can be played as 1 or 6, so choose the value that opens the best route. After the turn, played cards go to discard and replacement cards are drawn from the deck.
Classic Dice
Roll two dice and move with those values. You can use both values on one checker or split them across two checkers, as long as each step lands legally. Doubles give four moves of the same value.
Taking a turn
Gold checkers show pieces with at least one legal move. After you pick a checker, gold points show where it can land. You may switch to another highlighted checker before moving. Use all playable values when possible. If only one of two values can be played, the higher value is forced. If no selected value can move, the turn passes.
Direction
Your checkers move from high points toward low points and then off the board. The opponent moves in the opposite direction. A move must use the exact card or die value unless bearing off allows an overshoot from the farthest occupied home point.
Points and blocks
A point with two or more of your checkers is controlled by you. A point with two or more opposing checkers is blocked and cannot be landed on. A point with one opposing checker is a blot. Landing on a blot hits it and sends that checker to the bar.
The bar
Checkers on the bar must re-enter before any other checker can move. Entry uses the card or die value to land in the opponent's home board. If all entry points for your available values are blocked, you cannot move.
Bearing off
You may bear off only after every checker is inside your home board and none are on the bar. Exact values bear off from the matching point. Larger values can bear off only from the farthest occupied point when no checker sits farther away.
Online multiplayer
Choose Play Online from either mode to play a real opponent instead of the computer. Matches are cross-platform — a browser player and an Android player can share the same board. If the connection drops, the connection modal returns you to the menu so you can start again.