There are many different forms of Solitaire on the SubGame site, which are very popular today. All of them can be played completely free and without registration or downloading. But in all the variety of these patience card games, there are a handful of forms of the game which remain by far the most popular. There are lots of reasons for the popularity of each that set them apart and today we’re going to explore five of the best solitaire games and why they are so popular.
Let’s dive into it.
Klondike Solitaire
Starting off with what is, undoubtedly, the most popular and well known form of the game, first we have Klondike solitaire. Klondike solitaire is what’s also known as “classic” or “standard” solitaire. The game involves moving cards around the tableaus to form sequences in alternating color and descending value. The cards are then moved to the foundations by suit, and when all cards are arranged in the foundations, the game is won. To better understand the technique of this game, we advise you to get right down to it! Try playing Klondike Solitaire Turn One and Klondike Solitaire Turn Three right now!
For many people, Klondike and solitaire are more or less synonymous. When most think of solitaire, the variation they are likely thinking of is Klondike.
There are several key factors that have influenced the overall popularity of Klondike. To put it simply, the game is extremely easy to learn, so it easily draws in new players. This makes winning feel within your grasp very soon after picking up the game. You learn the rules very quickly and so you start learning from your mistakes immediately.
But at the same time the game is very difficult to master, which keeps players engaged for a long time. And even when you’ve learned the game, winning is still statistically quite difficult—meaning you’ve always got room to improve your game.
Spider Solitaire
Following closely behind Klondike in popularity is Spider solitaire. Spider plays quite differently from Klondike. Typically, Spider solitaire is played with two decks, though usually only in one or two suits. The basic aim is the same as Klondike: you must arrange the cards into sequences on the tableau, although by suit rather than color. When they are arranged into complete sequences, they will move into the foundation piles.
One reason Spider solitaire is so popular is that it is often quite a lot harder than classic, or Klondike, solitaire. This added challenge has proved very popular, and Spider solitaire is often the game to which players of Klondike graduate. There is a much steeper learning curve, and even a single wrong move can completely lock you out of winning.
This added challenge makes the game a much more stimulating mental task. It helps improve your memory and forward thinking, and winning is all the more rewarding as it will almost certainly take you longer to achieve it. Train your memory and brain with Solitaire Spider One Suit, Solitaire Spider Two Suits and Solitaire Spider Three Suits.
FreeCell Solitaire
Whereas lots of forms of solitaire involve a great deal of luck, FreeCell is much more a game of strategy. While there are certainly elements of strategy in all forms of solitaire, this is perhaps clearest in FreeCell. The basic principles are once again very similar: you must build sequences of cards in the tableaus in order that you can fill four foundations with each card in every suit, starting at ace. The main difference in FreeCell is that you have four “free cells” into which you can move any card temporarily to give yourself a more advantageous spread.
FreeCell solitaire places all cards in the tableaus face up, where other forms have a lot of the cards hidden at first. This gives you a full view of your spread, allowing for many steps of strategic thinking. This makes FreeCell much more likely to be winnable—computer simulations have estimated all but 0.001% of deals are winnable.
Removing most of the element of luck has played a big role in this form’s popularity. Players feel more inclined to play a game where the odds are more or less even and they aren’t so much at the whims of fortune. Play FreeCell and find out your real chances to win!
Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid solitaire is a very different take on the classic game. This is known as a pairing form of solitaire, in which you must find pairs of cards whose value adds up to 13. Twenty-eight cards are arranged into a “pyramid” with seven cards on the bottom row, six on the next one, and so on up to a single card at the top. Cards from the stockpile are turned face up, and you can make pairs with any two cards that are not covered by another in the pyramid.
Pyramid solitaire tends to be much quicker paced, and strategic thinking plays a smaller role. You must of course still think several steps ahead, prioritizing uncovering cards in the pyramid. Ultimately, though, a game of Pyramid solitaire is usually played quickly as opposed to the slower, more methodical forms. This has made it very popular as a different way to stimulate the mind, often with an emphasis on solving the deal as quickly as possible. On our website SubGame Pyramid Solitaire is available to all residents of the world for free. Start playing now!
Tri-Peaks Solitaire
Tri-Peaks, finally, is another interesting spin on solitaire where the player must discard all cards from three “peaks” by pairing them with a card either one above or below it in sequence in the waste pile. The cards are arranged on top of one another in three pyramid shapes, with the cards on the bottom row available for play. The cards above are face down. Cards can be dealt from the stockpile when no moves are available.
Again, this is a much quicker-paced form of the game, and while strategy is important, you can win by thinking only one or two moves at a time. There’s a large element of chance involved, but around 90% of deals are winnable. A scoring system also means that you can rate each game individually and so you can see that though you may not have completely solved it, you’ve still done very well. All of this has made it very popular as a twist on the format. Try it on SubGame for free!
Though they are all based on one or two sets of core principles, different forms of solitaire are popular for many different reasons. Whether you want the slow, highly strategic brain exercise of FreeCell or Klondike, or the punchy, second-to-second rush of Pyramid or Tri-Peaks, there’s a form of solitaire that will fit everyone’s tastes—and there’s a good chance it will be one of these five.