Many people think Microsoft introduced Solitaire in 1990 with Microsoft Windows 3.0. Unlike popular perception, it has a long history dating back to the 17th century. However, Microsoft gave solitaire, a card game, a new life as it quickly turned into one of the most used applications of Microsoft surpassing Microsoft Office as well. It is interesting gameplay, addictive variations, and challenging setup made it popular among the masses. Now, it is 2023, and three decades have passed, but the popularity of Microsoft Solitaire has not decreased. According to Microsoft, at least one million people still play this game. This shows the popularity of this brain game is still the same. However, Microsoft Solitaire has changed. It is no more Microsoft Solitaire; it now comes as Microsoft Solitaire Collection.
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
Previously, Microsoft variations used to come separately. However, now it comes as a collection of Solitaire variations that you can download to access all solitaire variations. Here are five solitaire variations you can try:
Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid Solitaire is different from usual Solitaire card games because, in this game, you do not have to build the foundation of card piles in any way. The key is to discard all cards of the pyramid to the discard pile. It is a fun game that is a mix of focus and intelligence. The pyramid is made of seven rows. The bottom row contains seven cards, and the other six rows are built, with every upper row containing one card less than the previous row, giving it a pyramid shape. The gameplay is simple yet interesting. The player discards two cards if they add up to thirteen. You can discard K without any other card because its value is already thirteen. You win the game if the pyramid is left with no card, even if extra card piles have some cards. It is an interesting game but not a piece of cake. So, watch out for your moves because things can get tricky if you play one wrong move.
Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is another classic variation that comes along Microsoft Solitaire Collection. It is different from other variations in many ways. It is a double-deck game that only contains spades. All cards are face down with only the first card face up, and these 104 cards are arranged in ten columns. The first six columns contain one card less than the rest of the four columns. The name spider of the game comes from the spider’s eight legs. Like eight foundations at the top right corner ready to be filled by cards’ stack. The game’s objective is to fill the eight foundations starting from the Ace and ending at King. It is an interesting game and quite easy to win if you play it with complete focus. You can also play this game online for free at different sites, like Solitaired. You will get to enjoy amazing features on online sites.
FreeCell Solitaire
FreeCell Solitaire is one of a kind card game because all of its cards are face up from the beginning. Moreover, it is called the best solitaire game for beginners because it is easy to play due to its simple gameplay. The goal is to fill four foundations in the right-hand corner. There are also four free cells in the top left corner to use in case of any difficulty in moving cards. All these reasons make very few FreeCell Solitaire games unsolvable. Once you get the idea of the gameplay, winning all FreeCell games becomes easier.
TriPeaks Solitaire
Don’t mix Pyramid Solitaire and TriPeaks Solitaire because both might be based on peaks but have different gameplay and card structure. It is called TriPeaks because it has three peaks with six face-down cards and eleven face-up cards aligned at the bottom of the peak. The objective of the game is, however, similar to Pyramid Solitaire, i.e., discard cards. You can only discard a card if it is one number higher or lower than the deck card. It might sound like quite an easy game, but it is not. It can give you a tough job if you lose your focus. So, always play it with full attention if you do not want to lose.
Klondike
Klondike, also called Patience, Canfield, or Classic Solitaire, is the most popular game in the solitaire family. The rule is simple: fill out four foundations and take home victory. Sounds easy? Ah, well, it is not. It has the lowest winning rate as compared to other versions of this family. It has seven columns; each column’s first card is face up while the remaining are face down. The right column has seven cards, while the rest have one card less than the previous column. This solitaire variation looks like the simplest game due to its simple arrangement. But it is difficult to win. So, if you want to try your solitaire abilities, this game is best. You can also try this game online on various websites with unique features, like Solitaire Bliss, and enjoy the fun anywhere, anytime.
Conclusion
Now you know five classic variations of the solitaire family are still available to play with Windows 10 as Solitaire Collection. These old classics still have a huge fan following and are the best to kill time. You can also play it online and enjoy the pleasure of playing good old games with modern features and various variations without downloading or paying any fee.
About the author
Gulam Murtaza is a freelance tech, gaming, and gadget review writer. He has been writing about tech and everything surrounding it for more than four years. He always had a passion for writing, which gave him a passion to start writing from a young age. In his spare time, you can find him reading a good book or a column. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
