Hegemony vs Backstabbr

Both Hegemony and Backstabbr are modern ways to play the classic Diplomacy-style negotiation strategy game online. Here is an honest look at how they compare.

Backstabbr has long been a favorite web platform for running games of Diplomacy with friends and public groups. It is known for its clean point-and-click interface, clear map adjudication, and dedicated Game Master tools. Hegemony offers an alternative designed from the ground up for modern mobile devices, Telegram, automated bot substitutes to keep games running, an atmospheric procedural newspaper after every game year, and 11 distinct maps.

Feature comparison

Where Backstabbr is better

• Laser focus on the classic game: Backstabbr focuses on the standard Diplomacy map and rules without variant distractions.
• Simplicity and history: Backstabbr has built a strong reputation over many years among tabletop groups who want a lightweight web interface for their private games.
• Hegemony's honest weaknesses: Hegemony has a newer and smaller player community, fewer active public matches running at any given time, no long-running ranking history, and its code is closed source.

Where Hegemony is different

• Native mobile apps and Telegram: In addition to a full web browser client, Hegemony offers native apps on iOS and Android, plus a seamless Telegram Mini App. You can conduct private diplomatic talks directly from your messaging workflow.
• Bots keep games moving: The biggest frustration in online Diplomacy is when an inactive player stalls or ruins the game. In Hegemony, a bot plays seats whose player surrendered and stands in, in the last minute before the deadline, for a player who gave no orders.
• 11 tactical and historical maps: Play on Classic Europe, 1939, Extended Europe, Europe Duel, Cold War, Ancient Mediterranean, Hundred Years' War, Known World 901, North America, South America, and Canton.
• The Gazette: Every game year concludes with a procedurally generated newspaper that reports troop movements, conquests, and betrayals in evocative historical prose.
• End-to-end encrypted negotiation: Private messages exchanged between rulers are end-to-end encrypted, ensuring your backroom deals remain completely confidential.
• Visual order helpers: Tapping a unit highlights its legal moves on the map and renders dynamic order arrows, preventing invalid orders and accidental misclicks.

Which one should you choose?

If you prefer a classic web-only interface for playing with established friends on the standard map, Backstabbr is a fantastic choice.

If you prefer playing from your smartphone (via iOS, Android, or Telegram), want a bot to play surrendered seats and stand in for players who miss the deadline, enjoy exploring different historical maps, or want to read a turn-by-turn newspaper chronicling your war, Hegemony is the modern alternative for you.

Play Hegemony now

Other comparisons

Compare Hegemony with other online Diplomacy platforms:

• Hegemony vs webDiplomacy — a webDiplomacy alternative
• Hegemony vs PlayDiplomacy — a PlayDiplomacy alternative