There are over 500 solitaire variations in the world. The BVS collection, a collection of solitaire games, lists more than 400 of them, which isn’t even the total number. If you decide to count those that don’t use the standard deck of 52 cards, the number will be even higher.
BVS divides these games into general categories. As such, there are 10 FreeCell types, 27 Klondike Solitaires, 19 Spider Solitaire, and other popular and not-so-popular games. Since it’ll be hard to write all the solitaire variations, we decided to introduce you to the most popular ones. If you want to start playing solitaire or you’re wondering what to play next, here are the four most popular solitaire types.
1. Klondike
Klondike is the most common solitaire variant played with people around the world. Its popularity started after the gold rush that took place in Klondike, Canada. This patience game has several variations, such as the Tarot version that is played with 78 cards.
Klondike features seven columns where individuals deal cards with one facing up, which is usually the last card. Cards in a column should be the number of that column. For instance, column seven should have seven cards, six face downs, and one facing up. Players aim at building four piles with cards starting from Ace to King.
2. Spider
Spider Solitaire was made popular in 1995 by Windows. It’s an addictive solitaire suitable for all solitaire enthusiasts regardless of their age. Players are given a lot of freedom here as they can decide the number of decks to include in the hardest level. You can complete a deck of Spider Solitaire within minutes, but more decks need more time to complete. However, note that most games only have two decks, which is the standard number.
The game also has several variations, which all depend on how many decks a player uses and its layout when starting this game. Variants include Open Spider, Wasp, Black Widow, Scorpion Solitaire, Spiderette, etc.
3. FreeCell
It is very different from other solitaire versions. Players deal with face-up cards in this game and are given free cells to store their reserve cards. FreeCell has the highest winnability rate. If you play your cards right, you’ll find yourself winning most of the games. In fact, the chances of encountering an unsolvable game are 8/1000000. Yet other games have a rough estimate of 10-30%.
Like Spider Solitaire, this game was also made popular by Windows when it was introduced as a free entertainment game to Windows users. Types of FreeCell games include Baker’s Game, Baker’s Big FreeCell, etc.
4. Tri-Peaks
Tri-Peaks Solitaire features a unique card layout, consisting of 3 overlapping triangles with face-down cards and one row that has all cards facing up at the bottom. It was invented in 1989 by Robert Hogue, who proved that 90% of these games are winnable.
However, this game isn’t included in the free entertainment package for windows. Instead, Microsoft includes it among its four subsequent packs, along with Fuji Golf, TicTactics, and WordZap. It’s why it is not popular like the four we’ve reviewed above. Nevertheless, it has a solid place among solitaire enthusiasts.
Other Solitaire Games
Other games you might be interested in include;
- Yukon Solitaire
- Russian Solitaire
- Pyramid Solitaire
- Push-Pin
- Josephine
- Golf
- Gaps
- Crescent
- Cruel
- Carpet
- Accordion
- Aces Up, and many more
Now, since you might come across different solitaire games, you must consider the rules when playing a new game. You may find out that it’s something you are familiar with. Also, note that you can create your solitaire variation by changing the rules of a game. It’s this endless entertainment that makes many people love Solitaire.
