A board is set.
Upstairs at the Lamplight, a backgammon board is set under the lamp. Play the house regulars at four strengths, with every rule of the real game - the doubling cube, the Crawford rule, gammons and backgammons - in matches to a set number of points or money games for play chips. Free in your browser on a phone, tablet or PC - no account, no adverts.
The room upstairs, a move, the doubling cube, bearing off, a match won and the rules walkthrough.
The room - pick a regular, a match length or a money game
Your move - every legal landing spot lights up
The doubling cube - take or drop
Bearing off into the tray
A match won - the purse and your record
The rules, a page at a time, on your first game
Both dice or the higher one, entering from the bar, bearing off, gammons and backgammons - every rule enforced, so you can only ever make a legal play.
Offer a double before you roll, or take or drop one. The Crawford rule in matches, an optional Jacoby rule in money games, and the cube tops out at 64.
Cecil, Mabel, Rufus, Otis, Pearl, Ines, Agnes, Winston and Dolores. Some double early and some hold on to the bitter end; the stronger ones join you as you level up.
Play to 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11 points for a purse from the house, or a money game at a stake per point. A match in progress is saved, so you can carry on later.
A wooden board on a table in the room upstairs. The dice are thrown and tumble across the felt, the checkers slide and stack, and the cube waits beside the board.
Your first game walks you through the rules. Every legal landing spot lights up when you pick up a checker, and the Hint button suggests the best play and the right cube decision.
Take back any of your moves until you press Done. Double-click a checker to move it by the bigger die.
Win chips in money games and as prize money for matches. They can't be bought or cashed out, and the house stands you more if you run dry.
Gain experience as you play. Sixteen trophies to win - a six-prime, a closeout, a backgammon, beating Dolores - and your record against every regular.
Pip counts, point numbers, a high-contrast board for colour-blind players, bigger text, reduced motion, and the pace the regulars play at.
Play with a mouse or touch screen, or with the keyboard or a gamepad - the board fits a phone held upright as well as a wide PC screen.
No account, no adverts, nothing to buy. The whole room runs on your own device and your progress stays there.
Most free backgammon apps pay for themselves with adverts or by selling coins, and many leave out the doubling cube. Lamplight Backgammon does none of that.
| Feature | Lamplight Backgammon | A free backgammon app | An online backgammon site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free - no adverts, no in-app purchases | Free, ad-supported | Free to start, coins or memberships sold |
| Doubling cube, Crawford and Jacoby | ✓ | Often missing | ✓ |
| Teaches you the rules | ✓ walkthrough, legal moves and hints | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Works fully offline | ✓ | Sometimes | ✕ |
| No account needed | ✓ | Often | ✕ |
| No adverts | ✓ | ✕ | Varies |
No. Chips are for play only. You can't buy them, cash them out or exchange them for anything, and if you run low the house stands you 200 more for free.
Yes. You must use both dice, or the higher one when only one can be played. Checkers on the bar must come in first, and you bear off once all fifteen are home. Gammons count double and backgammons triple. The doubling cube comes with take or drop, the Crawford rule in matches and an optional Jacoby rule in money games.
Nine house regulars - computer players run by the game - at four strengths, from Cecil, who is still learning, to Winston and Dolores, who play close to their best. Each handles the cube in their own way. The stronger regulars join you as you level up.
Yes. Play a match to 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11 points for a purse from the house, or a money game for a stake in play chips per point.
Yes. Your first game walks you through the rules a step at a time, and How to play brings them back whenever you like. When you pick up a checker, every point it can legally reach lights up. The Hint button suggests the best play and tells you whether to double, take or drop. You can undo your moves until you press Done.
No - play it straight from your browser, on a phone, tablet or PC, and add it to your home screen like an app. There is also a free Windows app in the Microsoft Store if you prefer an installed app.
No account. The browser edition needs a connection the first time it loads; after that the whole room is stored on your device and works offline.
On your own device. Your level, trophies, record and any match in progress stay on the device you play on, and you can erase them yourself in Settings. In your browser, your chips are shared with Lamplight Card Room and the other Lamplight games, so you're playing with the same stack.
Free in your browser or from the Microsoft Store. Play chips only, never real money. No account, no adverts.
