Play backgammon (tawla) online with friends

Backgammon, known across the Arab world as tawla, is one of the oldest board games still played today. It's a race with a twist: two players, fifteen checkers each, two dice and endless chances to block, hit and come back. On Rayoosh you play it in 3D, one on one, with a friend down the street or a brother in another country.

Play backgammon now All games

2 players
8+ min a match
Free · no download
Plays offline once installed

Choose a single Quick game or a Full match to 3 points, and add the doubling cube if you like a bolder game. Rayan explains every rule with short practice tasks, and computer opponents are always ready when you want to warm up first.

How to play backgammon

Each player has 15 checkers that travel in opposite directions around the board toward their own home board.
To start, each player rolls one die. The higher roll goes first and plays those two numbers.
On your turn, roll two dice and move one checker by each number, or one checker by both. Doubles give you four moves.
You can't land on a point that holds two or more of your rival's checkers.
Land on a lone rival checker, a blot, to hit it: it goes to the bar and must come back in before its owner moves anything else.
When all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, start bearing them off.
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game.

Backgammon rules at a glance

Players: 1 vs 1.
Use both dice when you can. If only one can be played, play the larger one when possible.
A blocked point holds two or more checkers of one colour.
A checker on the bar must re-enter in your rival's home board first.
Gammon: win before your rival bears off a single checker to score 2 match points, plus 1.5× Pearls.
There is no triple backgammon in Rayoosh.
Quick is one game; Full is first to 3 points.
Made a mistake? Undo your moves before you confirm the turn.

Backgammon modes in Rayoosh

Classic: standard rules, no doubling cube.
With Doubling Cube: Full matches only; it doubles match points, never Pearls.
Quick (1 game): about 8 minutes.
Full (first to 3): about 25 minutes.
Players: 1 vs 1, against a friend, a public opponent or the computer.

Tips to win at backgammon

Build points with two or more checkers, ideally side by side; a row of them slows your rival right down.
Avoid leaving blots within six points of a rival checker unless the gain is worth the risk.
Start moving your farthest-back checkers early, before they get trapped behind a wall.
Behind in the race? Hold a point deep in your rival's home board and wait for a shot.
With the cube, double when you're clearly ahead but your rival might still take; drop when the risk is too big.
When bearing off while a rival checker is still behind you, avoid leaving single checkers it could hit.

Play backgammon with family and friends

Tawla is a game of conversation as much as dice. Create a room, send the link to your opponent and talk through every roll on voice chat, or keep it to quick phrases like Well played and Yalla.

Invite by link, WhatsApp, QR code or room code.
React with emotes, and send an animated gift after a great comeback.
Warm up against the computer (computer matches pay half Pearls).
With Rayoosh installed on your phone, you can keep playing the computer offline.

Questions and answers

Is backgammon the same as tawla?

Yes. Tawla is the common Arabic name for backgammon, and Rayoosh uses the standard rules with 15 checkers each.

Does Rayoosh use the doubling cube?

Only if you choose the With Doubling Cube mode, which is for Full matches. The cube doubles match points, never Pearls. When offered a double, you can take and play on, or drop and give up the game at its current value.

What is a gammon?

Winning before your rival has borne off any checker. It's worth 2 match points, and the winner gets 1.5× Pearls.

How long does a backgammon game take?

A Quick single game takes about 8 minutes. A Full match, first to 3 points, takes about 25 minutes.

Can I play backgammon against the computer?

Yes. Practice matches against the computer are always available, and once Rayoosh is installed you can play them without internet.