Solitaires Team • February 29, 2024
Solitaire card games have been popular in one form or another for a very long time. They were first known as “patience games”, and are still commonly referred to in this way today. “Patience” generally is the more specific term, since we are talking about card games, and yet “Solitaire” really means any game you play on your own.
The term "Solitaire" refers to a category of card games that are played by a single player. The most well-known version of Solitaire is Klondike Turn 1, but the term encompasses a wide variety of games with different rules and layouts, all designed for solo play. Beyond card games, "Solitaire" can also mean any game or activity designed to be played alone. The word itself, derived from the Latin "solitarius" meaning "alone" or "solitary," highlights the game's nature of being a solitary pursuit, often requiring strategic thinking, planning, and problem-solving skills. This solitary aspect of Solitaire has made it a popular pastime for individuals looking to challenge themselves, relax, or pass the time.
Klondike Solitaire, the version most familiar to people today, owes its name to the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 19th century. This period saw a flurry of activity and interest in the Klondike region of Canada, with thousands flocking to the area in search of gold. The game became a popular way to pass the time in the camps and settlements that sprang up, leading to its association with the Klondike.
The exact origins of solitaire card games are not known, though most agree they were probably German or Scandinavian originally. The oldest reference we have to a game of patience comes from Germany in 1788. The games really caught on in 19th-century France, and subsequently in Britain and the U.S.
The popularity of these games is plain to see in the number of rulebooks published towards the end of the 19th century. These included Lady Adelaide Cadogan’s Illustrated Games of Patience, reprinted multiple times, and Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney’s Patience in the United States.
In the modern day, the enduring popularity of solitaire card games is due in no small part to their inclusion in the Windows operating system in the 1990s. This has contributed to the game's spread and, also, to the fact that, surprisingly enough, the popularity of Solitaire among browser games continues to grow.
Most forms of the game are roughly comparable in how they play, with subtle but important differences. The most popular form of the game, known as Klondike, is the best starting point and if you can understand the rules of Solitaire Klondike, you can understand the rules of virtually any form of the game.
