The first 10k games at bgammon.org, an open source online backgammon service

Hey there, author here. Glad to answer any questions.

If you don't know how to play backgammon, check out this guide[0] and/or this video[1]. There is a lot of history[2] behind backgammon. bgammon.org is AGPL-licensed, the client[3] and server[4] source code is publicly available. The graphical client is powered by the excellent Ebitengine[5] game engine.

  0. https://bgammon.org/blog/20240201-how-to-play-backgammon/
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDvvKWi0ijs
  2. https://bgammon.org/blog/20240115-history-of-backgammon/
  3. https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/boxcars
  4. https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon
  5. https://ebitengine.org

Something I've thought a lot while playing backgammon locally is "I wish there was a site like lichess, but for backgammon"... so kudos for going out and starting your own! Are there any plans for post-game analysis?

There seems to be an issue with the login/signup form, as it doesn't pull up the native keyboard for my phone, but some random keyboard.

Great game! Some feedback from a first time ever backgammon player:

- Thank you for getting me to play for my first time!

- Once a move has been utilized, then grey out that dice

- Rename the button "OK" to "Skip turn", I was wasting many turns until I figured out it skips your turn

- Make the color of your player more visible, I didn't know if I was black or white, thought I was white for the longest time

- For desktop users, do not show the popup keyboard, super difficult to chat with other players since it hides the text I'm writing

- Once I've done my two/four moves, autoclick the "ok button" so it speeds up the gameplay

Hi, nice snappy interface (even after making the HN front page...) and I like the gentle highlighting of possible moves for a piece.

In two games against the bot I _think_ I had the luck to run into a corner case bug with the rules engine: in the position shown in this screenshot https://ibb.co/dQ3HsM4 I'd rolled a 4-6, but the UI would not let me move my piece on 9 four spaces to hit the opponent on 5 -- the UI only wanted to let me move that piece six spaces.

I can imagine how this bug could happen-- all my pieces except this one are in my inner table, so it looks like my piece on 9 is the only piece that can legally use the rolled six, and you're required to fully use your roll if possible... except in this particular case, once I move that piece four spots, I'd be fully in my inner table and could use the six to bear off a piece.

[sidenote: I realize I don't know the best 2024 way to host a temporary image for posting on a text-only forum like HN... but imgbb looked reasonable...]

The opening position of backgammon always worries me, not because it is bad, but because I don't understand it. And backgammon is old enough that getting to the origin and meaning behind the position is not trivial.

My best guess is that the game started out with all the pieces off the board and you had to get them all on and around and off the far side. However this takes too long and some bright Persians who understood the game far more than me who only plays an occasional game with my father started creating and playing strategic openings. Positions with interesting interactions with the dice but now the game was much shorter and exciting. And the game we all play and enjoy today was one of the more popular openings.

A good theory, hard to prove. But why on earth do you start with five tokens already in your home???

Backgammon had a pretty large community at Yahoo! Games. With the demise of Yahoo! Games the only place to play online was FIBS, for which you had to download a Java client... Glad that finally someone scratched their own itch and built this, I will check it out and suggest it to my father.

I'm on mobile, clicked "Play now" where it said "Play now using your browser" and it brought me to the play store.

Downloaded the app, and tried to sign up, but everything was flashing -- I think it keeps flipping between screen sizes

bgammon.org register and login pages do not allow copy/pasting of usernames and passwords. i'd love to play but that's kind of annoying.

I love the game, created a german niche website about backgammon with steady traffic since years. Always happy to see new solutions.

How do you cover the server costs, without ads?

My GF plays a ton of backgammon online. This isn't related to the post. Just sharing a project / software that is related in concept.

heroes.backgammonstudio.com

Whoever runs this project does a fantastic job. It feels like they really care about the game. There's some friction to signing up and rules that force you to finish games that results in a stable player base.

Can you add support for tavli?

https://www.bkgm.com/variants/Tavli.html

The first game of tavli is portes which is the most common variant of backgammon played. Tavli is played by Greeks at least (and I'm sure many more)

Pretty cool, thanks!

I was casting my pieces off, guaranteed a win, but my opponent left, so it didn't count as a win for me to my disappointment.

Perhaps if someone leaves and doesn't return within 60 seconds, the game should be a win for the person remaining if the remaining person's pip count is lower.

When I press "Play" button in the corner, it shows loading message and then black screen...

Is this website even worth it, if I don't like short backgammon and prefer long nardi?

Congrats, this looks like an amazing project!

I never understood that game. Maybe I should watch a tutorial or something.

So clean. So fast. Finally an OS client for all platforms.

So clean. So fast. Finally a client fo Android without tons of BS.

So clean. So fast. Finally an OS client for all platforms.