SafeHarbor Games: A Community Harbour for Backgammon
SafeHarbor Games is a free, volunteer-built online gaming community that has been running continuously since 2008 — and, unlike most platforms covered in this encyclopedia, it is very much alive. Built substantially as a refuge for players displaced by the closure of the big portal game rooms, it today hosts more than a dozen games, with backgammon among its mainstays, at safeharborgames.net.
| Platform | Active years | Founder/Owner | Model | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafeHarbor Games | 13 April 2008 – present | Volunteer founders with programming/hosting experience from other gaming platforms; corporate entity not disclosed | Free to play; optional paid "Yacht Club Memberships"; no real-money gambling | Active |
1. Founding and purpose
SafeHarbor Games was founded on 13 April 2008 by volunteers who brought programming and hosting experience from other gaming platforms. From the outset it described itself as explicitly community-driven: a site run by players, for players, rather than a commercial venture. The corporate entity and country of registration are not disclosed on the site itself — an unusual but consistent expression of its volunteer character.
2. A refuge for displaced communities
The site's timing was no accident. As Yahoo! Games, Pogo rooms and the MSN Gaming Zone wound down or removed their card and board games, long-established communities found themselves homeless. SafeHarbor was built substantially as a harbour for those players, and it wears the heritage openly: its recurring "Zoner's Reunion" event is a direct nod to the MSN Gaming Zone diaspora. Readers interested in what those players left behind can consult our page on MSN Backgammon and the Gaming Zone.
3. How it is funded
SafeHarbor Games is free to play, with no real-money gambling of any kind. Running costs and prize pools are covered by optional paid "Yacht Club Memberships" — a voluntary supporter scheme rather than a paywall. This places SafeHarbor in the free, community-funded tradition of FIBS and DailyGammon rather than the commercial real-money lineage of Play65 or PartyGammon.
4. Software and platforms
Play runs through a downloadable client supporting Windows 7 through Windows 11. Mac users can play via an emulator and Linux users via Wine, while dedicated apps serve iOS, Android and ChromeOS — the SHGBackgammon iOS app among them. The catalogue spans thirteen or more games, including backgammon, spades and cribbage.
5. Competition and community life
Games can be played ranked and rated, and the competitive layer is deep: tournaments, plus leagues and ladders hosted through MyLeague. Social features include lobby and private chat, and the calendar is punctuated by site-wide events such as the Casino Cruise, the Zoner's Reunion and Winter Wonderland. The site also hosts "Backgammon Legends" biography pages, a small act of historical preservation in its own right.
6. A note on dice policy
One design decision deserves neutral mention. As documented on GamesGrid's own homepage, SafeHarbor has operated rooms with deliberately reduced doubles frequency, a choice made to appease players who distrust streaks of doubles. This is a documented design choice that has been debated in the community with respect to dice-uniformity standards; GamesGrid's contrasting policy of strictly uniform dice is described on our online play page. No further judgement is offered here — both approaches are matters of public record. (For clarity: the present-day GamesGrid, relaunched in 2026, is unaffiliated with the original 1996–2008 GamesGrid server.)
7. SafeHarbor today
Approaching two decades of operation, SafeHarbor Games remains one of the few places where the portal-era social gaming culture — named hosts, scheduled events, chatty lobbies — survives intact. For backgammon specifically it offers something increasingly rare: a free, rated, tournament-rich environment with a genuine community around it. Newcomers to the game may wish to review the rules and our learning resources before diving into league play.
See Also
- MSN Backgammon and the Gaming Zone
- Playing Backgammon Online
- DailyGammon — Correspondence Backgammon
- FIBS
- The History of Online Backgammon
Footnotes
- safeharborgames.net, the platform's own site: founding date, membership scheme, client requirements and event calendar.
- Wikipedia, "MSN Games", on the closure of Zone communities and their dispersal.
- myleague.com/safeharborgames, on hosted leagues and ladders.
Frequently asked questions about SafeHarbor Games
Is SafeHarbor Games still active?
Yes. Founded on 13 April 2008, it remains active, free to play, and community-run, with backgammon among more than a dozen games offered.
Does SafeHarbor Games cost money or involve gambling?
No. Play is free and there is no real-money gambling. Optional Yacht Club Memberships fund hosting and prize pools.
Can I play SafeHarbor backgammon on a Mac or phone?
The main client supports Windows 7–11; Mac users play via an emulator, Linux users via Wine, and there are iOS, Android and ChromeOS apps, including SHGBackgammon for iOS.