If you want to play backgammon, dont buy this app
I bought this app primarily for backgammon, and I didnt balk at the price because as a long-time Palm PDA user I enjoyed many Handmark apps and always found them worth the money. But unfortunately all theyve done here is a straight port of the game from a stylus-driven platform, plus an accelerometer dice roller thrown in to look like theyve done something. The result is very poorly adapted to iPhone/Touch.
The backgammon game is unplayable because the pieces are far, far too hard to pick up and place accurately with human fingers (and no I do not have fat fingers - Im a tiny little fine-boned person - and Im not a dumb n00b who cant figure out the interface either). Its incredibly frustrating. The piece movement mechanics need a complete overhaul, and the game should be playable in the roomier landscape screen mode. The AI might be OK, but youd never know because the game isnt even playable. Im very, very disappointed in Astraware/Handmark.
I did try out the chess game a couple of times and it is playable, but the AI seems kind of dumb: Im a terrible chess player (thats why I play backgammon :) so there is no way I should be able to take both of my opponents bishops consistently in the first seven moves on medium difficulty. If *I* need to crank up the difficulty to the highest level in order to get a challenging game, a real chess player will be quite disappointed.
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Astraware Board Games