Patience Games: A Complete Guide

What Are Patience Games?

Patience is the traditional name for single-player card games, used throughout Europe and much of the English-speaking world outside North America. In the United States and Canada, these games are more commonly called Solitaire. The two terms are interchangeable — they refer to the same broad family of card games designed to be played alone.

The name "patience" perfectly captures the nature of these games: they reward careful thought, methodical planning, and the willingness to work through a challenge step by step. Whether you call them patience games or solitaire games, they share a common structure — a single player works to organize a shuffled deck of cards according to specific rules.

A Brief History

Patience games first appeared in written records in the late 18th century, with references in German and Scandinavian sources from the 1780s. The games gained widespread popularity in 19th-century France, where they became a fashionable pastime among the aristocracy. Napoleon Bonaparte was famously depicted playing patience during his exile on St. Helena, though historians debate whether this was fact or romantic legend.

The games spread across Europe throughout the 1800s and were codified in numerous books of card game rules. When they crossed the Atlantic, Americans adopted the name "solitaire" — from the French word for "alone" — while British and European players continued using "patience."

The modern era of digital patience games began in 1990 with the inclusion of Solitaire in Microsoft Windows 3.0. This single event introduced hundreds of millions of people to Klondike Solitaire and helped establish card games as a staple of casual computer gaming.

Types of Patience Games

The patience family includes hundreds of distinct games, but they generally fall into several broad categories:

Builder Games

The most common type. The goal is to build cards onto foundation piles in a specific order, usually by suit from Ace to King. Cards are typically arranged on a tableau where they can be rearranged according to specific rules.

Popular builder games:

• [Klondike](/games/solitaire) — The "classic" solitaire. Seven tableau columns, one card drawn at a time from the stock.
• [FreeCell](/games/freecell) — All cards dealt face-up into eight columns, with four free cells for temporary storage.
• [Spider](/games/spider) — Uses two decks. Build sequences of the same suit on the tableau.
• Yukon — Similar to Klondike, but all cards are dealt face-up and any face-up card can be moved (not just ordered sequences).
• Baker's Dozen — Thirteen columns of four cards each, all face-up. Kings are automatically moved to the bottom of their columns.

Packing Games

In packing games, the goal is to rearrange cards within the tableau according to specific rules, often matching or sequencing cards rather than building foundations. The objective might be to pair cards, clear the tableau, or arrange cards in a particular pattern.

Popular packing games:

• Golf — Remove cards from the tableau by playing them onto a waste pile, going one rank up or down regardless of suit.
• Pyramid — Remove pairs of cards that add up to 13 from a pyramid-shaped tableau.
• TriPeaks — Similar to Golf, but with three overlapping pyramid peaks.

Adding Games

The player removes cards by finding combinations that add up to a target number. These games blend card play with mental arithmetic.

Popular adding games:

• Tens — Remove pairs of cards that add up to 10, plus face card sets.
• Fourteens — Remove pairs of exposed cards that total 14.

Non-Builder Games

Some patience games don't fit neatly into categories. They might involve sorting, matching, or other mechanics.

Popular non-builder games:

• Clock — Cards are dealt in a clock pattern. Turn cards over by placing them at the position corresponding to their rank.
• Accordion — Compress a row of cards by stacking matching suits or ranks.

What Makes a Good Patience Game?

Not all patience games are created equal. The best ones share certain qualities:

Meaningful decisions. The player's choices should matter. A game that plays itself isn't satisfying. Klondike and FreeCell are popular precisely because they present genuine strategic decisions at every turn.

Appropriate difficulty. A game that's too easy becomes boring; one that's too hard becomes frustrating. The sweet spot varies by player, but the most enduring patience games offer a challenge that feels fair. Klondike's roughly 79% solvability rate means most games are winnable with good play, but you still need to think carefully. FreeCell's near-100% solvability means skill, not luck, determines the outcome.

Clear rules. The rules should be simple enough to learn in a few minutes but create enough depth for ongoing engagement. Complex rules aren't inherently better — Klondike's elegance lies in its simplicity.

Visual clarity. The game state should be easy to read at a glance. You should be able to see what moves are available without hunting through piles of cards.

Patience Games vs. Other Card Games

What distinguishes patience games from other card games?

Single player. This is the defining characteristic. While some patience games have been adapted for multiple players (like competitive Solitaire or "Nerts"), the traditional form is strictly solo.

Complete information (sometimes). Games like FreeCell give you perfect information — every card is visible from the start. Other games like Klondike include hidden information (face-down cards and the stock pile), adding an element of uncertainty.

Deterministic outcomes. Given the same starting layout and the same decisions, the result will always be the same. There's no opponent making unpredictable choices and no random events during gameplay (after the initial deal).

Self-paced. There's no time pressure, no turns, and no opponent waiting. You can think as long as you want about each move, step away and come back, or play at lightning speed. This makes patience games ideal for relaxation, concentration practice, or filling a few spare minutes.

Tips for Getting Started

If you're new to patience games, here's how to begin:

1. Start with Klondike. It's the most widely known patience game for a reason — the rules are intuitive, and the balance of skill and luck is forgiving for beginners.

1. Try FreeCell next. Once you're comfortable with tableau building and foundations, FreeCell removes the luck factor and lets you focus on pure strategy.

1. Use undo freely. Modern digital patience games let you undo moves. Use this to explore different strategies and learn from mistakes.

1. Don't rush. Take time to survey the tableau before making moves. Planning ahead, even a few moves, dramatically improves your results.

1. Play the daily challenge. Many sites (including GameDeckHub) offer a daily deal that every player shares. It's a fun way to benchmark your skills and build a streak.

The Enduring Appeal

Patience games have survived for over two centuries because they satisfy a fundamental human need: the desire to impose order on chaos. A shuffled deck is random and messy; through careful play, you transform it into neat, ordered foundation piles. There's a deep satisfaction in that process — one that doesn't diminish even after hundreds of games.

Whether you're playing during a lunch break, unwinding before bed, or filling a quiet afternoon, patience games offer a reliable source of calm, focused enjoyment. And with digital versions eliminating the need to shuffle physical cards, they're more accessible than ever.