Gameloft Backgammon

Platform: Mobile Phone
Publisher: Gameloft
Developer: Gameloft
Originally Released: 2004

Gameloft Backgammon offers players several different versions of the traditional board game of kings, which can be played either one match at a time, in a tournament, or via two players in "hot seat" pass-and-play. The game play is identical in all of these modes, with the only exception being the type of opponent or how many games you're playing at one time. The only sound is a catchy, although generic, little jingle.

As players win tournaments, they will unlock new dices and playing pieces of different colors, and if players beat their opponent with either gammon or backgammon they will unlock a cheat that allow them to redo or change a single throw. Purists might not be thrilled about the cheating part, but the unlockables do give the average player something to "play for". The best feature about this game is that players can quit whenever they want, and return to the same.

The AI used by Gameloft is comparatively skilled for a mobile game and plays well most of the time. However, don't expect anything on the level of Jellyfish or other hardcore backgammon AI. If the user is a skilled player they will easily beat the computer at most settings. Also the AI seems to have a few bugs in it, most noticeably when it comes to the doubling game, where it will sometimes accept the doubling dice, even though it has no chance of winning. However, those used to the split second speed and reaction of PC and console computer games will probably be put off with the AI's "lag time" in responding to moves.

Still, Gameloft Backgammon does a wonderful job of getting as much entertainment as possible out of an old board game and should serve as a good example of how to translate board games into mobile phones.