GamesGrid

GridGammon: The GamesGrid Successor

GridGammon is the spiritual successor to the original 1996–2008 GamesGrid Backgammon server. When the original CyberArts-era platform was acquired and effectively went dark between 2008 and 2010, the original GamesGrid client software continued operating under a new identity, run by a member of the original GamesGrid community. That continuation is GridGammon.

This page is the encyclopedia entry on GridGammon: its origin in the GamesGrid transition, who runs it, what the software is and isn't, and what its current state is.

For the original 1996–2008 GamesGrid's full timeline, see the history page. For the 2026 GamesGrid bot family that descends from that platform's resident bots, see the GG bot family page.

The original GamesGrid Backgammon client unable to connect — the legacy desktop application in its offline state, indicative of the intermittent server availability that has characterised the post-2008 GridGammon period.
The original GamesGrid client in its offline state — characteristic of the intermittent availability that has marked the platform's late-2010s and 2020s operation.

1. Origin: 2008–2009, on the ashes of the original GamesGrid

The original GamesGrid Backgammon, operated by CyberArts Inc. from December 1996, was sold to GamesAccount Network in March 2008. The new owners ran the platform with diminishing engagement through 2008–2010, after which the service effectively ceased to function as a backgammon destination (see §V of the history page for the full timeline).

In the same window — most accounts place it in 2008 or early 2009 — the original GamesGrid client software was continued by Gabriella Barclay, who had served as GamesGrid's community director during the CyberArts era. Barclay relaunched the software under a new name and a new domain — gridgammon.com — as a no-gambling, backgammon-only server preserving the original software's interface and feel. (Note: GridGammon operates as a fresh, closed platform — there is no public record of the original GamesGrid player accounts or game state being migrated across to the new server, and access to GridGammon is by invitation only.)

The new platform did not attempt to compete on the commercial gambling axis that the post-2005 GamesGrid had pivoted toward. The premise was simpler: take the software the original GamesGrid community had loved and continue running it on a new server. No money play. Backgammon only.

2. The operator and the software credit

The development credit on the GridGammon software reads "Jensen-Barclay" — a partnership attribution combining Gabriella Barclay's name with what appears to be a co-developer or partner credit (Jensen). The single most-cited public face of the platform is Gabriella Barclay herself, who has maintained the @GridGammon account on X (formerly Twitter) as the platform's community-facing communication channel.

Barclay's continuity from the original GamesGrid community is one of the things that gave GridGammon its credibility in the small post-2008 backgammon-server market. The 1996–2008 GamesGrid community recognised both the operator and the software when they re-emerged on the new domain, and a significant portion of the original membership followed the migration.

3. The software: original GamesGrid client, Windows + macOS

GridGammon's playing client is the same software architecture as the original GamesGrid client. It is downloaded as a desktop application — there is no browser-based play — and is available for Windows and macOS. The latest publicly listed version is 3.8 beta (as listed on third-party download mirror Software Informer), reflecting that active feature development on the client stopped years ago.

What this software offers, in 2026 terms:

What the software does not offer, and where it shows its age:

4. The USBGF tournament connection

The most consequential institutional relationship in GridGammon's history is with the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF). GridGammon is one of three servers the USBGF lists as an approved venue for its Online Circuit — alongside GammonSite and SafeHarborGames — and a GridGammon account is one of the practical paths to participating in USBGF online tournaments.

The reasoning behind the federation's inclusion of GridGammon is structural: GridGammon's no-money, invitation-controlled platform fits cleanly with federation amateur-tournament regulatory needs in a way that money-play servers do not. The platform is also operated by a known and trusted figure with verified continuity to the original 1996-era community.

The UK Backgammon Federation (UKBGF) runs its current online programmes on a different platform — Backgammon Hub — which UKBGF sponsors, and which hosts events such as the UKBGF Online Charity Challenge and the Backgammon Hub Online Championships. UK federation members who also hold GridGammon invitations play there independently of the UKBGF's online programme.

5. Account access: invitation-only

GridGammon does not accept open public registration. New accounts require an invitation, typically issued through one of:

The invitation-only design is deliberate — it filters for serious-intent players and keeps the community small enough to maintain through a single-operator setup without the moderation overhead of a public-registration platform. The trade-off, from a casual-player perspective, is real: GridGammon is harder to access than any mainstream mobile backgammon app, and the access process discourages the recreational players who are the majority of the broader market.

6. Current status

GridGammon's operational status has been intermittent in recent years. Community forums (bgonline.org, rec.games.backgammon) document multiple "Is GridGammon down?" / "Still down" threads across 2016 to the present, reflecting the realities of running a desktop-client-based platform on legacy software with a small operating team.

As of the date of this page (2026-05-25), accurate real-time status is best confirmed via:

The platform has continued to operate through downtime cycles for over a decade and a half — its institutional role as a USBGF-approved server means the operator has both reason and motivation to keep it running through technical challenges.

Frequently asked questions about GridGammon

What is GridGammon?

GridGammon is an invitation-only online backgammon server that opened in 2008–2009 as the operational successor to the original 1996–2008 GamesGrid Backgammon platform. It uses the original GamesGrid client software, is run by former GamesGrid community director Gabriella Barclay, and is one of three servers the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) lists as approved venues for its Online Circuit. It does not accept real-money play.

Who runs GridGammon?

Gabriella Barclay, who served as community director at the original CyberArts-era GamesGrid (1996–2008). The development credit on the GridGammon software reads "Jensen-Barclay." Her primary community-facing channel is the X account @GridGammon.

How do I get an account on GridGammon?

GridGammon is invitation-only. The practical paths to an invitation:

There is no open public-registration option.

Is GridGammon the same as GamesGrid?

Not exactly. The original 1996–2008 GamesGrid was acquired in March 2008 and went dark by 2010. GridGammon (2008–present) is the continuation of the original GamesGrid client software under new operation by Gabriella Barclay, on a separate domain (gridgammon.com) and as a separate, invitation-only platform. The website you are currently reading — at gamesgrid.com — is a separate, unaffiliated project on the original domain, and is not connected to GridGammon's operation, software, or player base.

Why is GridGammon hard to access?

Because it is invitation-only by design. The platform filters for serious-intent tournament players via federation memberships; this keeps the community small enough to operate with a single-operator team and keeps moderation manageable without the overhead of a public-registration platform. The trade-off is real — casual recreational players find GridGammon harder to access than any mainstream mobile app.

Is the GridGammon software still being developed?

No. GridGammon's playing client is in maintenance, not active feature development. The latest publicly listed version is 3.8 beta. The platform's New England Backgammon Club client guide explicitly notes "GridGammon is no longer being actively developed; there is no clock play; and issues occasionally arise relating to connectivity and file saving."

What platforms does the GridGammon client run on?

Windows and macOS desktop. There is no browser play and no mobile client. The macOS client is feature-incomplete relative to the Windows client (per New England Backgammon Club's published guidance — Mac users cannot change board appearance or edit personal preferences in the same way Windows users can).

Can I play GridGammon for money?

No. GridGammon is explicitly a no-money platform. USBGF Online Circuit tournaments held on GridGammon are free to enter; there is no real-money game play.

Is GridGammon down right now?

GridGammon has had intermittent connectivity over the years — community forums (bgonline.org, rec.games.backgammon) document multiple "Is GridGammon down?" threads. For accurate real-time status, check the @GridGammon X account or email play@gridgammon.com.

The original GamesGrid client was distinct from GNU Backgammon. The GG family of bots (which GamesGrid Engineering built in the 1996–2008 era) was built on a fork of GNU Backgammon — that work is documented on the GG bot family page — but the GridGammon playing-server software itself is the original GamesGrid client, not GNU Backgammon. The two are separate projects with separate codebases.

See also

External references