Honest comparison

A simpler alternative to Lord of the Board

No account. No coin bets. Friends by code, not by Facebook.

Backgammon – Lord of the Board is one of the most-rated backgammon apps on the App Store, built around coins, bets and levels. Gammon42 is the plain one: open the board and play a person, a friend or the computer, with nothing at stake but the game.

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Why this page exists

People who look for a Lord of the Board alternative usually want backgammon without a coin balance: no bet to choose before each game, no bonus to collect, and a way to play one friend without linking Facebook. Gammon42 was built with those defaults. Below, the two apps side by side, so you can pick the one that fits how you play.

Side-by-side comparison

Lord of the Board Gammon42
Account needed to play Not stated in its listing No
Playing a friend Invite your Facebook friends Invite link or friend code, no account for either player
Play against the computer Not mentioned in its listing Three levels, also offline
In-game currency Coins, a welcome bonus and bets on games Sparks: earned in play, spent on tournament entry; no bets
Progression Levels and content unlocked as you play ELO rating from ranked games, achievements
Tournaments Yes, with a leaderboard Public and private tournaments
Chat Chat with friends In games, in the lobby, in groups and in private messages
Dice fairness: public explanation Not mentioned in its listing A proof for every online game (SHA-256 commitment, verified in the app)
Web browser play Not mentioned in its listing Yes
Mobile apps iOS + Android iOS + Android
Languages listed on the App Store 9 8
App Store ratings (US) 88,596 ratings, 4.5 average 6 ratings, 4.7 average

Lord of the Board's column is taken from its US App Store listing as read on 13 October 2026. Ours describes version 1.3.1. Please email us if anything is out of date.

An honest read of who fits where

Lord of the Board is not a bad app; it is one of the most-rated backgammon apps on the App Store. It is a different kind of product. Here is where each one is stronger.

Choose Lord of the Board if you want…

  • A very large community
  • Games played for coins, with a bet on each one
  • Bonuses, levels and new content to unlock
  • An interface in Arabic, French, Hebrew or Italian

Choose Gammon42 if you want…

  • To play within seconds, with no account and no email
  • Games with nothing at stake: no bet to choose, no balance to run out
  • To play one friend by code or link, with no Facebook connection
  • A computer opponent at three levels that also works offline
  • Dice you can verify yourself after every online game
  • An interface in Greek, Polish or Serbian, and a browser version

Frequently asked

Is Gammon42 free?
Yes. There is nothing to buy in order to play, no paywall and no subscription. Power-up packs are optional purchases, and the only ads are opt-in rewarded videos (you watch one to claim a small bonus); ads never interrupt a game.
Do I bet coins on a game?
No. Games in Gammon42 are not played for a stake. There is one in-app currency, Sparks: you earn them by winning Boosted games and spend them on tournament entry. Ordinary games cost nothing and are unlimited.
Can I play a friend without Facebook?
Yes. Every player has a friend code and an invite link. Send either one to your friend; neither of you needs an account or a social network.
How are the dice generated?
On the server, with a cryptographically secure generator. Every online game also comes with a proof: a SHA-256 commitment is published before the game starts and the seed is revealed at the end, so the app verifies every roll and you can repeat the check yourself.
Which one has more players?
Lord of the Board, by a wide margin. Gammon42 is a young app with a small community; when nobody is online you can play the computer, also without a connection.
Are there mobile apps?
Yes. Gammon42 is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android, and the web version runs in any mobile browser.

Try it — no account, nothing to buy

Open the board, play a game, decide for yourself. If it is not for you, no signup means nothing to cancel.

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Free. No account. No forced ads.

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