Switch from browser backgammon
Switching from browser backgammon into this GPL-2.0 client is a habit change, not a cloud migration. Built-in or Store board boards do not export a standard save that Backgammon will import. You extract windows_build.zip, prove a new local game, and keep the old board as a fallback until the room prefers the GitHub path for backgammon.
Phrase stays board. This is not a gnubg conversion guide. Home: backgammon.
What transfers and what does not
- Keep one Releases door.
- Extract before launch.
Scores, achievements, and Store cloud stats stay on the Microsoft side. Local local session files and local replay notes files belong only to this client after you create them. Plan on starting fresh positions when you switch into build.exe for board practice.
If you depended on Xbox hooks, keep the Store app installed. This zip path wins for offline GPL-2.0 play and named Releases assets, not for achievement hunting.
Switch steps that stay honest
- Bookmark GitHub Releases for qawse3dr/Backgammon.
- Download windows_build.zip from Final-Release.
- Extract all files into a folder you keep.
- Run build.exe and play one short backgammon game.
- Leave browser backgammon installed until the new habit sticks.
- Write the Releases URL on the machine ticket.
Safe download detail: download safely. Computer setup: set up on this computer.
Teaching a room that already knows Store boards
- Keep one Releases door.
- Extract before launch.
Say out loud that rules still follow backgammon on this build, while packaging differs. People who expected a Store update button need the Releases bookmark instead. Soft parks remain parked for winget and Homebrew; use Final-Release zips for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Comparison tables: vs browser backgammon. Browser fallback habits: switch from browser board.
Avoid dual-installer confusion
- Keep one Releases door.
- Extract before launch.
Do not install Softonic “browser backgammon Plus” packages while you switch. Extra installers create competing shortcuts labeled board and make uninstall tickets miserable. Prefer one GPL-2.0 folder plus the original Store app if needed.
No winget id was found for Backgammon. Do not invent a package manager migration line. Prefer zip extract every time you rebuild a machine for board.
After the first week
- Keep one Releases door.
- Extract before launch.
If the room still opens Store boards by reflex, move the Backgammon shortcut beside them and rename it clearly. After two weeks of local play, decide whether the Store app remains. Update path stays on Releases: update and uninstall.
Save discipline matters once people start unfinished games. Teach local session files early: save and replay. Offline expectation: offline play.
GitHub reading for skeptics: board on GitHub. Safety questions: is board safe. Releases file proof: releases.
Prefer the windows_build.zip from GitHub Releases, extract fully, then run build.exe.
When not to switch
Stay on browser backgammon when policy blocks unsigned exe files and the allow-list request will take longer than the event you care about. Stay on browser boards when the machine is locked to kiosk browsing. Return to this GPL-2.0 board path when you can extract a zip and keep files on disk.
Adjacent freecell or chess habits do not need to move on the same day. Keep those tickets separate so board remains the only phrase this site owns.
Communication templates
- Say the Releases URL aloud once.
- Show the zip name in chat.
- Keep Store boards optional for a week.
Tell teammates: we still play board, we just install from GitHub Releases now. Show the zip name once in chat so nobody googles a random installer. Offer a side-by-side evening where Store boards and build.exe sit open together until comfort lands.
Parents helping kids should keep Store achievements if those matter emotionally, while still teaching the GPL-2.0 folder for offline trips. The goal is a calm dual-path week, not an abrupt ban on browser backgammon.
Document failures too. If SmartScreen blocks the exe, write the exact message on the ticket and re-verify the Releases URL before you escalate. Safety: is board safe. Install: install on Windows. First run: first run.
Prefer the windows_build.zip from GitHub Releases, extract fully, then run build.exe.
After the switch sticks, remove duplicate Softonic shortcuts only. Leave the official Store app until the room votes it unused. Portable folder tips: portable folder. Rules reminder: rules and doubles.
Finish the switch week by deleting only the suspicious board shortcuts you cannot attribute to Store or to the GPL-2.0 folder. Keep documentation short enough that a substitute teacher can follow it without a meeting.
Releases list: releases. Download safety: download safely.
Prefer the windows_build.zip from GitHub Releases, extract fully, then run build.exe.
End state: one GPL-2.0 board folder, one optional Store board, zero random portal shortcuts, and a Releases bookmark shared with anyone who images PCs for the club.
- Keep Releases as the only download door.
- Extract the whole zip before launch.
- Prove one local game after setup.