Most people are familiar with the basic classic solitaire game that comes with Windows.
Many people don't know that this is the game called Klondike.
While Klondike is fun to play and a fine example of a good solitaire game (how else did it get so popular}, there are lots of game similar to it that are just as much fun or more. Here are some examples from among the more than 900 games in Pretty Good Solitaire.
1) Gold Rush
Gold Rush is my favorite Klondike alternative, in part because I invented it. It takes the basic Klondike game, with unlimited redeals and a 3 card draw, and changes it to have only 2 redeals, but a 2 card draw after the first redeal, then a 1 card draw for the last time through the deck. This makes for a nicely balanced game that is challenging but not too challenging.
2) Double Klondike
Double Klondike is just the standard solitaire game expanded to two decks. More cards give more choices and on the whole makes a better (but longer) game.
3) Fascination
Fascination is another game that I invented for Pretty Good Solitaire nearly 20 years ago. It is an attempt to make an open game out of Klondike. An open solitaire game is a game where all the cards in the deck are dealt out face up at the start of the game. The most famous open solitaire game is FreeCell. Open games have perfect information for the player, he or she can see where everything is. As such, they tend to be more strategic games.
4) Moving Left
Moving Left is another 2 deck version of Klondike. The main thing about Moving Left is when an pile becomes empty, every other pile moves one space over to the left.
5) Trigon
Trigon takes the classic Klondike game and makes it harder. Instead of the standard of building cards down by alternate color among the 7 piles, it changes it to building down by suit. This makes the game considerably harder.
6) Lady Jane
Lady Jane is another 2 deck game. Lady Jane features all face up cards in the tableau. It is a game for people who like easy games to win.
7) King Albert
King Albert is another open game, with all the cards of one deck dealt out face up with 7 cards dealt out as reserve cards (all the card available) at the bottom of the screen. King Albert is a somewhat overlooked and challenging game. It blocks easily and so it doesn't have the appeal of FreeCell, but if you ignore the unwinnable games and concentrate on deals that give you a change, it can be a fun game.
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