Backgammon Galaxy

What Backgammon Galaxy does

Backgammon Galaxy is an online social gaming platform for competitive backgammon, operated by Tadorne Ventures Limited and headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. The product is a cross-platform web and native mobile application (iOS and Android) sharing a single server, which supports live multiplayer matches, AI practice, tournaments, structured lessons, and post-match analysis with arrow indicators and an error-tracking module called 'My Errors & Blunders.' A proprietary Galaxy Rating system underpins matchmaking and ranking, and the platform claims to be the world's largest backgammon community, available in six languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Turkish) and processing roughly 18,000-20,000 matches per day post the v2 relaunch in 2024.

The company operates a freemium business model. Core gameplay is free; monetization comes from a Star Membership subscription (deeper analysis, cosmetics, ad-free play) and Galaxy Coins, a virtual currency purchased with real money and used for staked coin games and cosmetic unlocks. A separate revenue stream comes from physical merchandise sold through shop.backgammongalaxy.com, including premium backgammon boards (Earth, Monte Carlo, Void, Primal, Adventure, Mini Earth), Cosmos luxury doubling cubes, and the Backgammon Masterclass book. The platform hosts the Ultimate Backgammon Championship (UBC) tournament series and partners with the Backgammon World Championship (BGWC) and the Danish Backgammon Federation for real-world events.

The leadership team consists of CEO Marc Olsen (Grandmaster, UBC 2026 Istanbul winner), Super Grandmaster Masayuki 'Mochy' Mochizuki (2x World Champion), and Grandmaster Sander Lylloff (1x World Champion), giving the company an unusual concentration of elite competitive credibility for a niche consumer app. The company has raised a single disclosed seed round from Unpopular Ventures in March 2022 (amount undisclosed) and operates with a 1-10 person team, suggesting a lean, product-led, community-anchored operating model rather than a capital-intensive growth play.

Name

Backgammon Galaxy

Legal name

Tadorne Ventures Limited

Website

https://backgammongalaxy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Backgammon Galaxy is a cross-platform online backgammon platform (web, iOS, Android) offering live multiplayer matches, AI practice, tournaments, and AI-powered analysis, monetized via Star Membership subscriptions, Galaxy Coins virtual currency, and premium physical boards, serving competitive and recreational backgammon players globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Gaming

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (71312)

akta.pro primary industry

Networking, Multiplayer & Backend Middleware (MPAFAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Game Server Hosting & Community Infrastructure (private servers, matchmaking communities) (MPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Online backgammon platform
• Mobile gaming app
• AI game analysis
• Virtual currency gaming
• Luxury game boards

Headquarters

HQ city

Nicosia

HQ country

Cyprus

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Star Membership Subscription: Premium subscription (Star Membership) granting access to deeper analysis, cosmetics, and ad-free play. Subscriptions can be managed via web (PayPal/Stripe) or mobile (Apple/Google platform settings).
2. Galaxy Coins (Virtual Currency): Virtual coins with no real-world monetary value used for staking in coin games and unlocking cosmetic boards and avatars. Purchased with real money; given free every 12 hours. Rake applied to all games to prevent hyper-inflation.
3. Physical Backgammon Boards & Merchandise: E-commerce shop selling physical luxury backgammon boards (Earth, Monte Carlo, Void, Primal, Adventure, Mini Earth), doubling cubes (Cosmos collection), checkers, and accessories. Revenue from hardware sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Backgammon Galaxy operates an online social gaming platform where players can play competitive live multiplayer backgammon matches, practice against AI, participate in tournaments (including the UBC championship), and access AI-powered game analysis. The platform is available on web and native iOS/Android apps sharing the same server. The company also sells physical luxury backgammon boards, doubling cubes, and accessories through an e-commerce storefront, and monetizes through Star Membership subscriptions and Galaxy Coins virtual currency.

Product overview

Backgammon Galaxy is a unified online gaming platform combining a free-to-play digital platform with physical merchandise. The core product is the Backgammon Galaxy web and mobile app, a social gaming platform offering competitive multiplayer matches, AI practice, tournaments, and educational content. Premium features are monetized through Star Membership subscriptions and Galaxy Coins virtual currency for gamification. The platform hosts the UBC (Ultimate Backgammon Championship) tournament series and collaborates with the Backgammon World Championship. The company also operates a physical merchandise shop selling premium backgammon boards (Earth, Monte Carlo, Void, Primal, Adventure, Mini Earth), luxury Cosmos doubling cubes, and educational publications including the Backgammon Masterclass book. The platform incorporates AI for match analysis, error detection, and rating calculations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UBC (Ultimate Backgammon Championship): The most prestigious skill-based GM tournament organized by Backgammon Galaxy, featuring annual events with champions and contenders from around the world.
• BGWC (Backgammon World Championship)
• Star Membership

Products and services

• Backgammon Galaxy Web Platform Online social gaming platform for playing backgammon competitively against live multiplayer opponents, friends, or AI, with features including match play, single games, tournaments, analysis, lessons, and rankings. Available in 6 languages.
• Backgammon Galaxy Mobile App Native mobile application for iOS and Android enabling play on smartphones and tablets with full cross-platform continuity with the web platform.
• Star Membership Premium subscription tier granting access to exclusive features including deeper game analysis, cosmetics, ad-free play, and expanded chat functionality.
• Galaxy Coins In-game virtual currency used for staking in Coin Games, unlocking boards and avatars, and gamification. Provided free every 12 hours and purchasable with real money.
• UBC (Ultimate Backgammon Championship) Prestigious skill-based Grandmaster tournament series with Final and Contender events, annual championships, and rankings based on tournament performance PR.
• UBC Online Online version of the Ultimate Backgammon Championship enabling remote participation in the tournament series.
• Earth Board Premium tournament-sized backgammon board with Galaxy dimensions, MagFit removable felt playing surfaces, beech wood frame, marbled acrylic checkers, and vegan leather carry bag.
• Monte Carlo Grand Prix Board Nostalgic tournament board inspired by 1970s elegance with smoky swirl checkers, MagFit removable surfaces, and classic aesthetic.
• Void Board (Interstellar Series) Dark luxury board with six themed editions (Quantum, Vega, Cassio, Andromeda, Solaris, Aurora) featuring modern design, MagFit compatible surfaces, and vegan leather protective covering.
• Primal Board Limited edition board featuring zebrano wood frame, handmade stone-and-fire-inspired checkers, leather exterior, and premium felt playing surface.
• Adventure Board Luxury travel backgammon set combining portability with high-end design in Neptune, Nebula, or Earth color themes, featuring painted beech frame and acrylic checkers.
• Mini Earth Board Compact solid oak travel board with natural wood aesthetics, glossy finger dish checkers, vegan leather carry bag, and Galaxy Scoreboard.
• Cosmos Luxury Doubling Cubes Premium doubling cubes made from stone and glass materials in various designs (Obsidian, Ocean, Malachite, Nebula variants) for luxury board upgrades.
• Backgammon Masterclass Book Book co-authored by Masayuki 'Mochy' Mochizuki and Marc Olsen with Alec Barr, covering strategic visualization, game plan dynamics, back game positions, and cube action.

Quantifiable outcome

• Post v2 launch, daily matches increased ~40-54% from ~13,000 to 18,000–20,000 per day
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Danish Backgammon FederationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Backgammon Galaxy co-hosted the Nordic Open 2024 backgammon championship in Copenhagen, Denmark with the Danish Backgammon Federation. Nordic Open is one of the oldest grand slams of backgammon.
• Zak KitnickminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023International fine artist Zak Kitnick collaborated with BGWC and Backgammon Galaxy to design and handcraft a luxury playable championship board and trophy for the 2023 Backgammon World Championship in Monte Carlo. Kitnick's works are in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and MAMCO Geneva. The collaboration included four paintings inspired by the four quadrants of a backgammon board and nine limited-edition boards sold exclusively through BGWC and Backgammon Galaxy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GameColony: GameColony is an online skill-based board game platform with significant backgammon traffic, plus other skill games — directly comparable platform model (subscription, multiplayer, tournaments) to Backgammon Galaxy.
• Backgammon Lord: Backgammon Lord is a long-running online backgammon community with multiplayer and AI play — a direct niche competitor in the same online backgammon category.
• Play65: Play65 is one of the largest online real-money backgammon platforms, offering multi-player backgammon, tournaments, and stakes — a comparable skill-game backgammon community of similar size and global reach.
• Ayo: The Game: Ayo is a mobile-first AI backgammon app with multi-language support and community play — comparable cross-platform AI/online backgammon product targeting similar player segments.
• Backgammon Studio: Backgammon Studio is an online backgammon community and AI practice platform — a comparable product offering in the same niche with similar persona and learning focus.
• iBackgammon: iBackgammon is a long-running online backgammon site with multiplayer and tournaments — directly comparable to Backgammon Galaxy in feature scope and target audience.
• eXtreme Gammon: eXtreme Gammon offers commercial backgammon analysis software by sophisticated bots — directly comparable to Backgammon Galaxy's AI analysis and Galaxy Rating features.

Broad incumbents

• Chess.com: Chess.com is the dominant online skill-based board-game platform, with freemium, subscription, lessons, AI analysis, and tournaments — a much larger peer useful as the comparable model for community-led growth in similar skill-game verticals.
• Lichess: Lichess is the free, community-led open-source chess platform with rating systems, analysis, and tournaments — directly comparable open-community play/analysis mechanics that map to Galaxy's community + rating + analysis stack.

Emerging players

• Backgammon Nook: Backgammon Nook is a niche online backgammon forum/community with some play features — adjacent community asset for the same enthusiast base with overlap on social/community and content distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BGammonGalaxy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BackgammonGalaxy
• Facebookfacebook.com/backgammongalaxy
• Instagraminstagram.com/backgammongalaxy
• TikToktiktok.com/channel/backgammon-galaxy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backgammon-galaxy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Backgammon Galaxy