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The Super‑Complete Guide to Solitaire Variants

Grab a coffee and pull up a chair—I’m about to take you on a quick tour of the real solitaire universe. Spoiler: Klondike (the Windows one) is only the front porch. There’s a whole mansion of solo card games back there, each with its own quirks, frustrations, and “YES, I’M A GENIUS!” moments.

1. Klondike—the starter pack

You already know this one: seven columns, red‑on‑black stacks, Aces to the top. It’s comfy, like sweatpants for your brain. If you want a twist, flip to “Vegas mode.” Every trip through the deck costs fake cash, so the puzzle becomes, “Can I win before I go broke?”

Learn How to Play Klondike Solitaire—Your Zero‑to‑Hero Crash Course


2. Double Klondike—Klondike on steroids

Two decks, nine or ten columns, twice the drama. Clearing eight foundations feels like finishing a TV‑series binge in one weekend—exhausting but oh‑so‑satisfying.


3. FreeCell—where luck sits on the bench

All 52 cards start face‑up. You get four little parking spots (the “free cells”) to juggle cards. Suddenly every loss is on you, not the shuffle. Win a tough deal and you’ll strut around like you just cracked the Da Vinci code.

Learn How to Play FreeCell Solitaire


4. Eight Off & Baker’s Game—the FreeCell dark mode

Eight Off gives you extra parking spaces but forces you to build piles strictly by suit. Baker’s Game is even meaner—also suit‑only, but with just four cells. Try it when you feel like punishing yourself in the name of “mental growth.”

Learn How to Play EightOff & Baker's Game


5. Spider—reckless fun with two decks

Picture ten messy piles and a stack of extra cards waiting to crash the party.

How to Play Spider Solitaire


6. Pyramid—the speedy math snack

Cards form a triangle. Pair exposed cards that add up to 13. Kings nuke themselves. A round takes, what, two minutes? Perfect for elevator rides or awkward Zoom‑meeting wait times.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire


7. TriPeaks—the arcade cousin

Three little mountains of cards. Play one rank up or down, ignore suits, rack up combo points, feel like a pinball wizard. Easy to learn, dangerously bingeable.

How to Play Tripeaks Solitaire


8. Golf—quick swings, brutal bogeys

Lay out five rows. Play cards strictly up or down by rank until you stall. One wrong move and it’s “welp, +7 on that hole.” My personal rage‑quit champion.

How to Play Golf Solitaire


9. Scorpion—the messy rescue mission

Looks like Spider, except half the deck is already face‑up—and you can drag messy, half‑ordered stacks around. Mid‑game you’ll release a buried Ace and suddenly everything unknots. Extremely satisfying chaos.

How to Play Scorpion Solitaire


10. Canfield (a.k.a. Demon)—casino‑born mischief

Foundations start on a random rank (all 7s, all Jacks, whatever). Tableau piles are tiny, so space is precious from the first move. Sometimes you win. Mostly you mutter, “Who designed this torture?”


11. Yukon—Klondike but wilder

No draw pile. Everything’s dealt up front, but tons of cards are face‑down. The trick: you can move any face‑up card plus whatever’s on top of it—even if hidden cards break color order. It’s like playing Jenga with a live grenade… yet weirdly relaxing.


12. Forty Thieves—Klondike after five espressos

Two decks, ten columns, strict suit‑by‑suit building. Genuine brain burn. Clear a deal and you’ll want to print the score screen and frame it.


13. Set, Trios, all the quirky minis

Need palate cleansers? Pair‑matching games, little counting puzzles, you name it. Great when you’ve only got three minutes but still want that sweet serotonin pop.


14. Story‑time moderns

Sometimes you want a side‑quest with your card flips.

They’re the gaming equivalent of a cozy blanket: guaranteed winnable, pretty graphics, low stress.


15. The choose‑your‑own‑adventure bit

Want pure strategy? FreeCell, Eight Off, or Baker’s Game—no excuses, only logic.
Crave long, slow burns? Four‑suit Spider or Forty Thieves. Stretch first.
Need micro‑breaks? Pyramid or Golf. Two minutes in, done.
Love a storyline? Fire up Solitaire Home Story and get renovating.