Frequently Asked Questions
Accounts and game modes
Section titled “Accounts and game modes”Do I need an account?
Section titled “Do I need an account?”Yes. Sign in and complete your player profile before playing or spectating.
Can I play against the computer?
Section titled “Can I play against the computer?”Yes. Select Play Against Bot, choose White or Black, and select Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced difficulty.
How do I play with someone I know?
Section titled “How do I play with someone I know?”Create a private game and share its PIN. The other player selects Private Game → Join Private Game and enters that PIN.
Can I watch without joining a game?
Section titled “Can I watch without joining a game?”Yes. Open Spectator and choose Public games or Watch Bot Game.
Free games, Premium, and purchases
Section titled “Free games, Premium, and purchases”How many games can I play for free?
Section titled “How many games can I play for free?”Every user receives 3 free games per day. They reset at 00:00 UTC for everyone, and unused free games do not carry over.
UTC means Coordinated Universal Time, the common reference from which local timezones are calculated. A reset at 00:00 UTC happens at 00:00 in London during winter, 02:00 in Bucharest during winter, 03:00 in Bucharest while daylight-saving time is active, and 03:30 in Iran. JustGammon displays the reset time converted to your device’s local time.
What counts as one game?
Section titled “What counts as one game?”One game is one individual backgammon game, not the entire 3-point match. A rematch counts as a new game.
When is a game consumed?
Section titled “When is a game consumed?”A game is consumed only after both players complete their first move. If someone leaves before both first moves are complete, no game is consumed.
After that point, the game remains consumed even if it ends through resignation, timeout, disconnect, abandonment, or another reason.
Do bot and private games count?
Section titled “Do bot and private games count?”Yes. A bot game consumes one game. A private game consumes one game for each participating player. Spectating never consumes games.
Do purchased games expire?
Section titled “Do purchased games expire?”No. Games from a purchased package remain in your account until they are used.
What is consumed first?
Section titled “What is consumed first?”If Premium is active, no games are consumed. Without Premium, daily free games are used before games from a purchased package.
What happens after I use my 3 free games?
Section titled “What happens after I use my 3 free games?”You need either an active Premium subscription or available games from a purchased package to continue starting new games.
What happens if I disable Premium auto-renewal?
Section titled “What happens if I disable Premium auto-renewal?”Premium remains active until the end of the billing period you already paid for. Your purchased game balance remains unchanged while Premium is active.
What happens if Premium expires during a game?
Section titled “What happens if Premium expires during a game?”You can finish the game already in progress. Subscription access is checked when you attempt to start another game.
Can I use a purchase on another platform?
Section titled “Can I use a purchase on another platform?”Yes. Purchases belong to your JustGammon account. Stripe purchases made on Web or Android are available on iOS, and Apple purchases made on iOS are available on Web and Android when you sign in with the same account.
Does JustGammon store my card details?
Section titled “Does JustGammon store my card details?”No. Stripe handles payments on Web and Android, and Apple handles payments on iOS. JustGammon does not process or store complete payment-card details.
See Plans and Pricing and Purchases and Billing for complete information.
Rules and gameplay
Section titled “Rules and gameplay”How long is a match?
Section titled “How long is a match?”Matches are played to 3 points. Single wins award 1 point, gammons 2, and backgammons 3.
Does JustGammon use the doubling cube?
Section titled “Does JustGammon use the doubling cube?”No. The current game does not offer a doubling cube.
Why does a checker not move?
Section titled “Why does a checker not move?”The destination may be blocked, the selected die may not permit that move, or you may have a checker on the bar that must re-enter first. Backgammon also requires you to use both dice, or the higher die when only one can legally be played.
Accessibility and settings
Section titled “Accessibility and settings”Can I play using only a keyboard?
Section titled “Can I play using only a keyboard?”Yes. Press Z to focus the board, use the arrow keys to move the virtual cursor, and activate points with Enter, Space, or M. See the complete shortcut list.
Where can I change sounds, notifications, board appearance, or announcements?
Section titled “Where can I change sounds, notifications, board appearance, or announcements?”Open More → Settings. See Settings for all available groups.
Why does my screen reader read something like B115 black?
Section titled “Why does my screen reader read something like B115 black?”Some screen readers may run the point name and checker count together when a board label uses only a space. Open More → Settings → Accessibility → Separator in board labels and choose comma, period, semicolon, or a custom separator. For example, B11 5 black can become B11, 5 black.
Connections and support
Section titled “Connections and support”What should I do after losing my connection?
Section titled “What should I do after losing my connection?”Return to the home screen and use Rejoin Game or Continue if your active game is shown. From a game, More → Game resynchronization requests the latest state from the server.
How do I report a problem?
Section titled “How do I report a problem?”During a game, press G while the board is focused, or open More → Report a bug. For account questions or other support, use Contact and Feedback.