More about solitaire
The history of solitaire
Solitaire is older than it looks. The card games that we now call solitaire grew out of games played alone in Europe more than two hundred years ago.
Solitaire, called patience in Britain, appeared as a family of one-player card games in northern Europe in the late 18th century. Klondike became the best known version in North America, and Microsoft Solitaire, included with Windows 3.0 in 1990, made it the most played card game on computers.
Patience in Europe (late 1700s)
Games played alone with cards were recorded in northern Europe from the late 18th century. They were often described as a pastime and sometimes linked to fortune-telling. In Britain and much of Europe they became known as patience, because they asked for patience. Collections of patience games were being printed in English by the 1800s.
Klondike
Klondike is the version most people now call simply solitaire. Its name is commonly linked to the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, though the exact origin is not certain. It became the standard game in North America in the 20th century.
Microsoft Solitaire (1990)
In 1990 Microsoft included Solitaire in Windows 3.0. It was written by an intern, Wes Cherry, and the cards were drawn by the designer Susan Kare. It is widely reported that it was added to help people learn to use a mouse, by dragging and dropping cards. It spread to millions of office and home computers, and for many people it became the first computer game they ever played.
Solitaire today
Today there are many apps and websites, and many variants, such as Spider and FreeCell. See the types of solitaire. Much attention now goes to fairness, ads and winnable deals: see is solitaire always winnable.
Common myths
- The story that Napoleon played solitaire in exile on Saint Helena is often repeated, but it is a popular legend, not a proven fact.
- Solitaire is not a single game. It is a family, and Klondike is just the best known member.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented solitaire?
No single inventor is known. One-player card games appeared in northern Europe in the late 18th century.
Why is solitaire called patience?
It is the British name for the same family of games, because they ask for patience.
Why is it called Klondike?
It is commonly linked to the Klondike gold rush, but the origin is not certain.
When did Microsoft add Solitaire to Windows?
In Windows 3.0, released in 1990.