Solitaire Games

What are Solitaire games?

Solitaire or Patience is an old card game that has been played for many years. In most solitaire games the aim is to arrange all thirteen cards of each suit in order running from ace to king. The ace forms the "basis" on which two of the same suit are placed, followed by a three, a four, a five, and so on. This process is known as "building." The game requires skill, a keen eye, and tactical play. Nowadays, you don't need a deck of cards to play solitaire, you can play a wide array of solitaire games and variations online for free! No downloads necessary.

Solitaire Fan Favorite Games

Classic Solitaire brings all the fun of this classic card game to your web browser. Spider Solitaire 2 Suits is a challenging Solitaire game limited to two suits and two decks of cards. Golf Solitaire uses a regular 52-card deck, but the rules slightly differ from regular Solitaire. Kings and Queens Solitaire TriPeaks is a casual game where you stack cards in rank order—up, down, or both. Magic Towers Solitaire is yet another free solitaire game with a medieval theme.

Solitaire with a Twist

If you want to stick with solitaire but explore beyond the normal deck of cards, try Mahjongg Solitaire, an online mahjong puzzle board game that mixes old-school rules with a fresh, modern look. Four Colors is another fun solitaire variation that is very much like a Match 3 gameplay style.

Puzzle Solitaire Games

Most solitaire games can be found in our puzzle category, and it's no surprise, as these can be quite the brain teasers. Solitaire FRVR is another similar game—an HTML5 solitaire game developed by Chris Benjaminsen.

You need to stack the cards on the board. Spider Solitaire 2 Suits is a tricky two-suit card game where you stack cards in order.

Variants of Solitaire

There are many different solitaire games available, including some beautiful variations that put a spin on the classic rules. Some good examples are Pyramid Solitaire or Thieves of Egypt. Both are available on SolitaireParadise, a site dedicated to solitaire games. Some other famous variations of Solitaire include:

• Builders, this is the most classical game. As mentioned above, the aim of these games is to build cards of the same suit on the ace.
• In these games, the cards must be assembled in reverse order on another part of the layout called the "tableau." They can then be built in the right sequence on the foundations. This interim process of reverse building is called "packing." These games can be further divided into subcategories: Blockades, Planners, and Spiders.
• Non-Builders are solitaire games that use neither of the above techniques.

Another way to classify the different solitaire games is by the degree to which the cards are revealed.

• In open games, the cards are visible throughout the game, and the player has to use analysis to solve solitaire.
• In closed games, the cards are drawn from a face-down stock, and the player has to use judgment because the sequence of cards is unknown until they appear. An excellent example of this would be Tri-Peaks Solitaire, which features three pyramids of cards that you have to match up instead of the standard row of 8.
• Half-open games, a hybrid group between the two above.

History of Solitaire games:

Solitaire is most likely from German or Scandinavian origin, the earliest written appearance dates in 1783. Internationally, the game of solitaire has many names. It is often called "Patience," especially in the UK, and in France, the game is sometimes called "réussite."

Solitaire was described in a German book of games as a competitive card game where players would take turns or play with separate decks of cards. The idea of playing solitaire entirely by one's self probably came out of people enjoying practicing for competitive games.

In the 1980s, personal computers made solitaire famous again. Microsoft included the game as part of its Windows product line since Windows 3.0, starting from 1990. Nowadays, the game is often played online or on tablets.