Can I play backgammon with a friend in a different time zone?

Yes. Choose a 3-day game and neither of you ever needs to be online at the same time. Each player has up to three days per move, so you simply play your move when it suits you and your friend responds when it suits them, however far apart you are.

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Play backgammon online with friends

Q: How do I play backgammon online with a friend?

Create a free account, add your friend, and send them a challenge. You choose whether it is a live match played in one sitting or a 3-day game played a move at a time over days, and you can optionally put a Battle Bucks prize on it. Your friend accepts and the match begins.

Backgammon is best with someone you know. On Backgammon Battles you can challenge a friend to a private match in two ways: a live game when you are both free, or a 3-day game you play a move at a time over days. Add a Battle Bucks prize if you like, review the game together afterward, and keep a rivalry running for as long as you want. It is free to play.

How to challenge a friend

Create a free account (it takes under a minute).
Add your friend, then send them a challenge.
Pick the format: a live match in one sitting, or a 3-day game over days.
Optionally set a Battle Bucks prize. Your friend accepts, and you are playing.

Live or over days, your choice

Some rivalries want the back-and-forth of a real sitting; others fit better around busy lives. You get both:

Live games play out in one session, with the doubling cube and full rules, exactly like sitting across a real board.
3-day games let each of you take up to three days per move. Make your move, close the tab, and your friend plays when it suits them. Perfect for friends in different time zones, or for a long, simmering rivalry. Learn more about 3-day correspondence games.

Play for more than pride

If you want a little extra on the match, you can attach a Battle Bucks prize to a friend challenge. Battle Bucks are an in-game currency with no cash value, used purely to make competition richer; the winner takes the prize. It is entirely optional, and ordinary friend games are always free. See how Battle Bucks work.

Settle the argument with the computer

Every completed game is analyzed move by move, so when your friend insists they "should have won," you can both see exactly who played better. The analysis shows the best play on each roll, where each of you slipped, and a skill score for the game. It is the fastest way to actually get better, and to win the next one.

More than just friends

When your friends are not around, you are never stuck for a game. Jump into ranked matchmaking against players worldwide and climb a transparent world ranking, drop in during Ladder Hour when the most players are online, or practice against an adaptive bot any time. Your friend rivalries and your global ranking live side by side in the same account.

Challenge a friend in under a minute.

Live or 3-day, with optional Battle Bucks, plus move-by-move analysis on every game. Free to play.

Play backgammon free

Frequently asked questions

How do I play backgammon online with a friend?

Create a free account, add your friend, and send a challenge. Choose a live match or a 3-day game, optionally add a Battle Bucks prize, and your friend accepts to start.

Can I play with a friend in another time zone?

Yes. Pick a 3-day game and neither of you needs to be online at the same time: each player has up to three days per move, so you each play when it suits you.

Is it free?

Yes. Friend challenges are free. You can optionally add a Battle Bucks prize (an in-game currency with no cash value), but it is never required.

Play a 3-day game with a friend →

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