Which Version Of Solitaire Is The Hardest To Play?

Traditionally, Solitaire has always been a popular card game but it was made even more famous globally by Microsoft by introducing it as a default game on Windows in 1990.

A solitaire card game can be played alone and it not only is a great way of keeping oneself entertained but also a great mental exercise. 

Interestingly, there are more than 500 variants of Solitaire card games. A few of the popular variants of solitaire card games are Klondike Solitaire, FreeCell, Spider solitaire, and Classic solitaire.

With so many variants of solitaire available one might be intrigued to ask which is the hardest of these variants?

There can be many deciding factors to label a particular type of Solitaire the hardest. Two such deciding factors are the amount of luck that is needed to win a game and of course, the skill that is required to strategically win a game. 

Which Version Of Solitaire Is The Hardest To Play?

In terms of luck, the hardest Solitaire game is the Tripeaks Solitaire. It is because a good setup of the game is required to win; It is more luck-dependent than skill-dependent. However, in terms of skills, the toughest variant is the Freecell which requires good strategic skill. In addition to the Freecell, a game of Spider Solitaire involving all the four suits is also considered hard by many. 

How To Play Tripeaks Solitaire?

Tripeaks Solitaire is a comparatively new variant of solitaire that was invested in 1989 by Robert Hogue. What makes the game of Tripeaks Solitaire interesting is the rhythm of the game. Just like any variant of Solitaire the card game, even in Tripeaks Solitaire, the ultimate goal is to clear all the cards that are present on the table. 

In Tripeaks Solitaire, the player needs to tap on a face-up card that is placed either one above or one below the top card that belongs to the waste pile. Then, the player needs to get into chaining. In the chaining process, a chain of cards is created by moving cards in the sequence in the waste pile. The players need to ensure that they are able to clear as many cards as possible with the help of chaining before introducing new cards from the reserve. The amount of strategy required to win this game is less, luck is of prime importance in winning this particular version of solitaire. 

How To Play FreeCell Solitaire?

Even though almost all the deals of the FreeCell Solitaire can be won, it is one of the toughest variants of solitaire because the strategic skill needs to be on point for winning this game. The popularity of FreeCell Solitaire began in 1995 when Microsoft introduced it as a default game for its Windows platform. 

What makes FreeCell Solitaire a unique variant of Solitaire is the fact that all the cards of the game are dealt with face-up. In FreeCell Solitaire, the player needs to move all the cards from the table to the four foundation pile which is placed in the top right section of the screen. A sequential order needs to be followed while laying down the foundation piles that must start with the aces of each suit. Whenever required, the player can also choose to move a card from the foundation pile back again. 

In addition to that, movement of cards in the play area is allowed as long as they are in sequential order from highest to lowest and belong to alternate colors. Further, four free cells are present on the top left section where the player can place any card without any restriction, and also, these cards can be moved from this section whenever required to the foundation pile. An empty column in the playing area can be occupied by any card after freeing it and more cards can be placed on top of it according to the rules. 

A player can also move multiple cards if they are placed in sequential order, provided that the number of free cells and open columns permit the movement. The FreeCell Solitaire needs to be strategically played. The aim of the game for the player is not only to clear the cards present in the playing area but also to complete the game at a faster speed in fewer moves. It is because the time taken to complete the game and the number of moves made are taken into consideration for deciding the score of the player.