Backgammon Based Games
Backgammon has inspired many game designers throughout the years. The result is a long list of backgammon-based games, which some of them borrow from the original game mechanism, others mix the same doses of skill and luck, while others borrow backgammon objectives and add (or subtract) a certain component to make the game more interesting or less complicated and more family-friendly.
On top of backgammon variations such as chouette and acey-deucey, international backgammon variants and ancient backgammon ancestors, there are dozens of games based on backgammon. Thanks to Board Game Geek, here is an introduction to some of the most interesting board games based, inspired or similar to backgammon:
Army Man Backgammon
This backgammon-based game is played on a standard backgammon board with a pair of dice, but except regular checkers, each player uses a set of army men that hold various types of weapons and in different positions. The army men are classified and rated by their weapon and their body posture. The faster a group of army men can move the more vulnerable they are of being hit. The object of the game is to move the army men to the opponent's side of the board.
Chessgammon
As you can imagine, Chessgammon strives to be a combination of chess and backgammon. The family oriented game is played on a chess board with 4 kings, 12 pawns, and a set of two dice: a numeric die that indicates the number of moves and a directional die to show the right direction. The object of the game is to move the king pieces to the center of the board. Chessgammon can be played by 2-4 players.
Marrakesh
Played on a backgammon board with a standard set of backgammon checkers and a deck or cards, Marrakesh focuses on the last stage of the backgammon game – the bearing off. In here, the players bear off the checkers according to the value of the cards drawn instead of rolling dice.
NC Backgammon
A pure skill variation of backgammon in which a player at his turn chooses one of the rolled dice and by that forces the opponent to play the second die. Instead of the doubling cube, the players can play the same picked die twice as a doubling cube.
Nannon
Nannon is a fast-paced variation of backgammon, played on a board with only 6 points using a single day with 3 checkers a player. The basic concept of the game is similar to backgammon, yet a point cannot occupy more than one checker, therefore no hitting and entering is possible. The doubling cube is still in use in the game.
No Dice
A backgammon game played with no dice, and therefore without the luck element. The players move their checkers according to the position of the board and the checkers.
Whamgammon
Named after its designer, Tom Wham, in this variation of backgammon, the first player who moves his checkers to the home board is the winner of the game. In addition, when a player lands on a blot, instead of hitting automatically, both players roll the dice, so the player with the higher outcome dominants the point and the second player is removed to the bar. However, the feature that creates the biggest difference between the two games is the Summoner, a checker with super powers.
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