Goodsol Solitaire Blog

7 Interesting Klondike Type Solitaire Games

Everybody knows the solitaire game called Klondike (just called Solitaire in Windows).

But Klondike has many variations, many of which are better games to play than Klondike itself.   I have a complete list of these games, but here are a few of the most interesting ones.

 

1) Double Klondike

Double Klondike is just the game Klondike with 2 decks.  It plays the same but with more cards - and more opportunities to play cards.

How to Play Double Klondike

 

2) Gold Rush

Gold Rush is the same as Klondike, except you only get 3 times through the deck (2 redeals).  The first time through, it deals 3 cards at a time from the stock to the waste, the 2nd time it deals two cards at a time, and the last time it deals one card at a time.  This is a great compromise between the usual one card deal and three card deal settings in Klondike.  It also happens to be one of my favorite games, but then I invented it.

How to Play Gold Rush Solitaire

 

3) Batsford

Batsford is another 2 deck game like Double Klondike.  It adds an extra element of a reserve pile where 3 Kings can be stored.  It's a challenging but interesting game.

How to Play Batsford Solitaire

 

4) King Albert

King Albert is a different kind of Klondike game - it is an open game (all cards face up), which is more usual among FreeCell type games.  It's also a very difficult game, but worth learning.

How to Play King Albert Solitaire

 

5) Northwest Territory

Northwest Territory is like Klondike but adds a large reserve pile in which every card is available for play.   This makes a lot more cards available for play than is usual in Klondike type games.  This is also another of my inventions.

How to Play Northwest Territory Solitaire

 

6)  Carlton

Carlton is another open game, this time with 2 decks.  It is also challenging but the 2 decks give lots of opportunities for plays.  This is one of the better 2 deck Klondike games.

How to Play Carlton Solitaire

 

7) Hypotenuse

Finally, Hypotenuse is another 2 deck game.  This time, instead of a stock and waste pile, you have only a stock that deals one card to each tableau piles.  This is another challenging game.

 

 

If you are a Klondike fan, I'm sure you'll find some games of interesting among these seven games.

 

PREVIOUSLY: The 4 Solitaire Games You Should Win Before You Die

3 Rules for Lasting as an Indie Game Developer for 20 Years

It seems there are as many (or more) people wanting to become indie game developers now as there were 10 years ago.  However, they all now seem to be different people.  Almost all the people who were indie game developers 10 years ago seem to be gone.

I've been in this business for nearly 20 years now.  My game Pretty Good Solitaire was first released in 1995.  So this is my advice to people who want not only to be indie game developers, but who also want to last a long time doing it.

 

Rule 1)  Outsource As Much as Possible

If you want to be an indie, you will be small.  You will be one person or a very small team.  Either way, there is only so much you will be able to do.  It will be crucial to outsource as many things as you can.  Outsource, outsource, outsource.  It is better to pay someone else to do things than to use your valuable time doing it.  You can even outsource some of your development.  Outsource your ecommerce.  And for heaven's sake, don't try to do your taxes yourself.

Of course, when first starting out, you may have to do everything because you won't have the money to outsource it.  But as money comes in, you can start sending tasks out to others.

 

Rule 2) But Don't Outsource the Important Stuff

But with that said, don't outsource the most important things - which would be the design of your games, and contact with your customers.  Do not outsource your email support or any other contacts with your customers - always do that yourself.  It's the biggest advantage that a small company has - the one to one dealing with your customers.  Make sure you are doing it, because knowing what your customers are thinking is the most important thing to know.

 

Rule 3) Don't Get Funded

Seriously, don't get funded!  The worst thing that can happen to an indie game company is to have external funding.  You will never survive.  You need to grow from revenues from your games - anything else is disaster.  So many times I've seen indie game companies suddenly get money or get bought out - once that happens, it's over for them.  No way they will last even a few years, let alone 20.

It is quite possible to last 20 years as an indie game company - even though everything changes in that time (20 years ago, we were called shareware game companies).  Of course, you need at least one great game, a game that doesn't go out of style and isn't a fad, but that's another topic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday CatBlogging: Ace

 

This is our 15 year old cat Ace, the star of the Ace Card Set.

 

Is It Winnable?

A question I get often in email is whether a particular game number of a particular game in Pretty Good Solitaire is winnable.  For example, someone will ask if FreeCell #617 is winnable, or is Spider #1001 winnable?

Here is where you can go to get an answer.

The best place to go is to our Goodsol Solitaire Forum.  There are people there who will try to solve any game that is asked, and they usually will succeed.  If it can be solved, someone there will solve it.

Unfortunately, to post on the forum requires signing up for an account and then I have to approve it (necessary because of forum spambots and spammers).  If you don't want to wait for this, there are a couple of other alternatives:

The Goodsol Solitaire Facebook Group - if you have a Facebook account, you can ask if the game is winnable in our Facebook group.  Again, you'll probably get an answer.

Or The Goodsol Solitaire Google+ Community - if you have a Google+ account, ask on our Google+ community.

Between these three resources, you should find someone who will solve the game (or, in some case, tell you it might be unsolvable).

 

 

 

 

Yukon Type Games

We have a new section to our Guide to Solitaire Games:

The Complete Guide to Yukon Type Games in Pretty Good Solitaire

It lists all the variations of the excellent game Yukon, including Russian Solitaire and Australian Patience.

The 4 Solitaire Games You Should Win Before You Die

There are a few solitaire games in Pretty Good Solitaire that are very difficult to win.  For many of them, winning just involves luck of just getting the right cards.  But there are a few very hard games that involve skill rather than just luck.  These are games worth playing even though most of the time you will never win them.

 

 

1) Seven Devils

The game Seven Devils is so named because of a reserve pile of 7 cards.  These 7 cards can only be played to the foundation piles (the piles where you build cards up from Aces to Kings).

The situation is not helped by the fact that you can move only one card at a time in the 7 pile tableau.  A very hard game, but similar to the popular game Klondike.  The key to winning is to get those 7 devils out.

 

2) Interchange

 

Interchange is an even more interesting game of the Forty Thieves type.

It features a tableau of alternating face up and face down cards.  Because there are so many cards buried in the tableau, it can be difficult to get at them all and the game is very hard to win.  But there are some strategies to improve your chances.

 

3) German Patience

 

German Patience is an unusual game where all building is on the 8 tableau/foundation piles.

All building is up regardless of suit and only one card can be moved at a time.  The goal is to get all of the cards into 8 13-card sequences.  The game is very challenging as you get more cards into play, you have less space to move them around.

 

4) Diavolo

 

The devilish game Diavolo is a variation of the excellent game Rouge et Noir.

Diavolo has 2 types of foundation piles - the left 4 piles are built from Aces up to Kings just like in most solitaire games (except they build by color instead of suit).  The other 4 piles, on the other hand, are built as 13-card sequences down in alternate color in the tableau, then moved up to the foundation piles in 13-card units.  Therefore you are building two different things at the same time.  You have no redeals and the odds are against you.  Still, you can help yourself by making the right moves (and learning the easier Rouge et Noir first is recommended).

 

--

If you can manage to win these four very hard solitaire games at least one each, you can call yourself a solitaire expert.

 

PREVIOUSLY: The 7 Solitaire Games You Should Learn How to Play

NEXT: 7 Interesting Klondike Type Solitaire Games

 

20 Years Ago

It was about 20 years ago at this time that I started working on a game - the game I wrote before Pretty Good Solitaire.  At that time, Spring 1995, the internet was barely even noticed, Netscape had only just started, when you went online you mainly went on AOL, Prodigy, or CompuServe.

Windows 3.1 was the dominant operating system, although there were a lot of people around who still used DOS.  I started writing a game for Windows 3.1 that would be done in a couple of months.

A lot would change that year.  The World Wide Web suddenly became popular in the spring and summer, web sites were the new thing.  Windows 95 was still months away.  Internet access was by modem, either 2400 bits per second or 9600, if you had an expensive modem.

I didn't know it, but it turned out I was starting to write a game at almost exactly the right time.  

 

Friday CatBlogging: Pumpkin

The 7 Solitaire Games You Should Learn How to Play

Although many people are unaware of it, there are many hundreds (and probably thousands) of different solitaire games played with playing cards.

This can be daunting when you open a game such as Pretty Good Solitaire and see the names of over 800 solitaire games.

Which ones are the most important ones?  Here are 7 games that every serious solitaire player should know.

1) Klondike

Klondike is the name given to the game that most people just call Solitaire.  It is the basic game that came with Windows.

Klondike is not the best nor the most interesting of solitaire games, but it is the most popular.  It also has all the standard elements (foundation piles for each suit, a tableau with alternate color building, a stock pile, a waste pile).  Once you know how to play Klondike, a large number of solitaire games will seem familiar to you.

How to Play Klondike Solitaire

 

2) FreeCell

Like Klondike, FreeCell was included with Windows.  But while Klondike is a favorite of people just wasting time, FreeCell is a puzzle that takes thought and strategy.  FreeCell's design is brilliant - it is easy to learn but not easy to win, but...significantly, it can be won nearly every time.

FreeCell is a game that gets played thousands of times by its devoted fans.  It has spawned many other games that try to imitate its puzzle-like style.

How to Play FreeCell Solitaire

 

3) Spider

 

Spider is another popular solitaire game that came with Windows.  It is a much harder game for the casual player and therefore often is seen with 2 easier variants - Spider One Suit and Spider Two Suits.

 

Spider takes some work to master and can be frustrating at times.  Like most of the games in this list, there are many variations of the game designed to be easier or different or more strategic.

How to Play Spider Solitaire

 

4) Yukon

 

Yukon is a fascinating game with similarities to Klondike, but with one special feature - you can move any group of face up cards regardless of sequence.  This makes for a different and fun game.

In order to win, you need to uncover the face down cards to turn them face up.  Yukon's most famous companion game is Russian Solitaire, which is very hard since building is by suit rather than opposite color.

If you like Klondike, you'll find Yukon a nice change.

How to Play Yukon Solitaire

 

5) Forty Thieves

 

Forty Thieves is an important solitaire game to know.  It has all the basics in common with hundreds of solitaire games  - even more so than Klondike.  Once you know how to play Forty Thieves, you know how to play a lot of games.  Even better, Forty Thieves is challenging and interesting in its own right.

Forty Thieves also has a rich history, being over 100 years old.  It also has many other names, such as Napoleon at St Helena.  

How to Play Forty Thieves Solitaire

 

 6) Pyramid

 

Pyramid is a different type of solitaire game with different structure - in Pyramid you pair two cards together whose ranks add to 13 and remove them from play.  This makes it an Addition or Pairing type game, rather different from the previous games.  Pyramid is probably the best known and most played Addition type game.

Once you learn Pyramid, you'll find that there are many other Addition type games, some of which are quite easy and others which can be interesting.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire

 

7) Scorpion

 

Scorpion is very Spider like, but has only one deck and involves creating sets of 13 cards down in suit from King to Ace.  It is easier and more accessible than Spider and is probably a better introduction to Spider type games than even Spider is.  Also, it's fun.

Scorpion also has some connection to Yukon, in that you can move any group of face up cards regardless of sequence.  Scorpion is definitely a game to play if you haven't played it before.

How to Play Scorpion Solitaire

 

NEXT: The 4 Solitaire Games You Should Win Before You Die

Spammers are Lazy and Stupid

Since 2003 we have had a forum at http://www.goodsol.net/forum.  Because a large number of spammers try to post on the forum, I have to moderate forum accounts - to post on the forum you have to apply for an account and I have to approve you.

Unfortunately the forum gets bombarded with spambots and spammers.  About 500 to 1000 spambots apply for accounts for every actual person who does.  It's annoying.

Last month, the forum moved to a new server.  In the process, there was a brief time where the settings for the forum were set so that my approval was not necessary.  Something like 400 spambots got forum accounts during that time.

So what happened?  A bunch of spam got posted, right?

Well, actually no.  In fact, out of those hundreds of bots, only 2 have actually posted spam on the forum.  (It turns out it is really hard to find the bots from among the regular users once their accounts are approved.  Pretty much the only way to get rid of a spammer after the account is approved is to ban him and delete his posts after he posts a message on the forum).

So here was a golden opportunity that these bots have been waiting for years for.  And only a couple actually took advantage of it (and got deleted and banned).

What is wrong with spambots these days?  Don't they get out of bed in the morning?