Solitaire 8 Collection review

What it is

Most browser solitaires are one game with a skin. This is eight of them under one menu. You get the two everyone knows, Klondike and FreeCell; the two-deck marathons, Spider and Scorpion; the three quick tableau-clearers, TriPeaks, Pyramid and Golf; and Yukon, which plays like Klondike with the training wheels off. Every variant has separate settings and a separate record sheet, and the game list lets you hop between them without losing anything.

Two decisions make it worth writing about. First, deals are drawn from a list that has been checked to have a solution, so when you lose a game it was your play and not the shuffle. Second, hints are unrestricted and undo is unlimited, which turns the whole thing into something closer to a puzzle than a gamble. There is also a daily challenge, one deal shared by every player, with a streak counter.

How it plays

On a desktop the controls are as complete as I have seen in a browser solitaire. Drag cards between piles, or double-click one and it jumps to the right foundation pile on its own; in TriPeaks, Pyramid and Golf a single click plays a card. The keyboard covers the rest: N deals a new game, P asks for a hint, Z undoes and M opens the game list. Undo from the keyboard changes the rhythm of Spider and FreeCell in particular, where a wrong move becomes something you explore rather than regret.

On a phone the same tap and drag gestures apply. The 800 by 600 canvas is landscape, so cards are legible with the phone held sideways but small upright, and the wide tableau games get tight. Workable, but not where this collection is at its best.

Tips that actually help

Every deal here is solvable, so the general rule is the same in all eight: if you are stuck, you missed something, so undo rather than redeal.

• Klondike: prefer moves that turn over a face-down card, and do not rush cards to the foundations. A low card sitting on its foundation cannot help you build a run in the tableau.
• Spider: an empty column is worth more than any single move. Empty one early and use it to reorder mixed-suit runs into same-suit runs before you deal the next row.
• FreeCell: treat the four cells as a last resort, not a parking lot. Count how many cards you can move at once (empty cells plus one, doubled for each empty column) before you commit.
• TriPeaks and Golf: plan chains, not single cards. Before you take from the stock, check whether the card you are about to play opens a run of two or three more.
• Pyramid: kings go up alone and pairs must sum to 13. Uncover the cards buried at the bottom of the pyramid first, because those are the ones that end games.
• Use the hint when you are out of ideas, then undo and work out why that move was right.

The eight games

If you only know Klondike, the other seven are worth a tour. Spider builds descending runs across ten columns and deals a fresh row on top when you stall; Scorpion uses seven columns and lets you move any face-up card together with everything sitting on it, provided the destination is the same suit and one rank higher. Yukon is Klondike without a stock: every card is dealt at once and you can move groups even when they are not in sequence. FreeCell is fully open information and almost always winnable with thought. TriPeaks, Pyramid and Golf are the quick ones, played by clicking cards one rank higher or lower than the waste pile (TriPeaks and Golf) or pairing to 13 (Pyramid); they take a few minutes and suit a phone best.

Where it falls short

The listing mentions statistics and a streak but not an account, so I would expect all of it to live in this browser (see how browser games save progress). The landscape canvas makes the larger tableau games cramped on a phone. And solvable deals, while a kindness, remove the small drama of a hand that might not go out.

Questions people ask

Are all the deals really winnable?

Yes, in all eight games; deals come from a list checked for a solution. If you get stuck, undo and look for the move you missed.

Does it save my statistics?

Each variant keeps its own record sheet: how many deals you have played, how often you won, your quickest finish and your leanest move count. The daily challenge tracks a streak on top. Nothing suggests an account system, so expect all of it to live in this browser.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, with the same tap and drag gestures. TriPeaks, Pyramid and Golf are the most comfortable on a small screen; Spider and Klondike work but the cards are small.

What is the daily challenge?

One deal per day that is the same for every player. Finish it to keep your streak alive.