Backgammon Classic 8.4

This is a classic backgammon game with nice-looking graphics. The appearance of the board and/or checkers can be changed (and viewed in 2D or 3D). The menu on the right side has a sleek design and changes automatically when your mouse pointer is hovering over certain areas (this has a drawback that will be detailed later on). Animations are smooth, the list of settings is long, you can consult a table of statistics and a few other interesting features are included.

Overall, this application is well made, but I’ll start with a few disadvantages that it has, so you know how to avoid them. First of all, the auto-changing right menu can be confusing for some people because it’s not so clear why it changes and how. If you move your mouse pointer too far on the right, the main menu will change and it can be frustrating if you need the previous options and don’t know why they have disappeared. Second, you cannot drag and drop your checkers. They are moved just by pointing and clicking. By default, clicking the first mouse button on one of your pieces will use the highest dice available (so if you have a two and a six, it will use the six). It takes a few moves to understand what mouse button to click to place the pieces where you want to.

Other than the previously mentioned slip-ups, this game is good, giving you a comfortable and intimate feeling when you run it full screen. It has just 3 levels of difficulty, but the most difficult one makes the game very challenging, fun and interesting or just frustrating (depending on what type of player you are). Also, the voice effects make the application seem intelligent and can give a sensation of being welcomed.

If you like backgammon, you will certainly enjoy this game and you might play it for hours.