The Solitaire Family Tree
Discover How 500+ Solitaire Games Evolved From Ancient Patience
Origins & History
The solitaire family tree has roots stretching back over 250 years, with the first recorded patience games appearing in Northern Europe around 1765. What began as simple fortune-telling card layouts evolved into the complex web of over 500 distinct games we know today.
🌍 Geographic Origins
Germany
Early patience games (1765)
France
Napoleon's favorites (1800s)
England
Victorian popularization (1870s)
🎴 Did You Know?
The name "Solitaire" is primarily American. In most of the world, these games are called "Patience," reflecting their original purpose as exercises in calm persistence.
The Seven Major Solitaire Families
All solitaire games can be traced back to seven major families, each with distinct characteristics that define their gameplay and strategy.
Klondike Family
The Classic Dynasty
The most recognized family, featuring tableau building by alternating colors and descending rank. Home to the Windows Solitaire classic.
Spider Family
The Strategic Branch
Games focusing on building same-suit sequences, often with multiple decks and complex tableau manipulation.
FreeCell Family
The Open Games
Characterized by open layouts where all cards are visible from the start, emphasizing pure strategy over luck.
Pyramid Family
The Pairing Games
Games based on removing cards in pairs that match specific criteria, often adding to 13 or matching ranks.
Forty Thieves Family
The Challenge Masters
Two-deck games known for their difficulty, requiring careful planning and often featuring limited redeals.
Canfield Family
The Gambling Heritage
Games with reserve piles and specific foundation rules, originally played for money in gambling houses.
Unique & Specialty Games
The Innovators
Games that don't fit neatly into other categories, often featuring unique mechanics or hybrid rules that borrow from multiple families.
The Klondike Dynasty
Direct Variants
Turn 3 Klondike
Harder variant with 3-card draws
Vegas Solitaire
Gambling scoring system
Thoughtful Solitaire
All cards face-up
Close Relatives
Yukon
No stock pile, group moves
Russian Solitaire
Yukon + same-suit building
Alaska
Hybrid of Yukon and Klondike
Influenced Games
Whitehead
All cards face-up, color sequences
Westcliff
10 tableau piles variant
Easthaven
7 piles, 3 cards dealt
🎯 Evolution Pattern:
Klondike variants typically modify one of three elements: the draw mechanism (Turn 1 vs Turn 3), the tableau rules (face-up vs face-down), or the building requirements (alternating colors vs same suit).
The Spider Family Web
Spider Solitaire's family is characterized by same-suit sequence building and the dramatic moment when a complete suit is removed from play.
Core Mechanics
- �?Build down in same suit
- �?Move sequences as units
- �?Remove complete K-A sequences
- �?Multiple difficulty levels (1-4 suits)
Notable Variants
- Scorpion: 3 cards face-down, tail moves
- Wasp: Any card to empty spaces
- Simple Simon: No stock pile
- Mrs. Mop: Relaxed sequence rules
FreeCell Evolution
The Open Information Revolution
Where skill triumphs over luck
Eight Off (1940s)
The ancestor with 8 free cells
Baker's Game (1968)
C.L. Baker creates same-suit building
FreeCell (1978)
Paul Alfille's masterpiece
Modern Era (1990s+)
Seahaven Towers, Penguin, more
Pyramid & Pairing Games
The Pyramid family represents a complete departure from traditional tableau-building games, focusing instead on mathematical relationships between cards.
Evolution of Pairing Mechanics
Classic Pyramid
Remove pairs totaling 13
TriPeaks
Sequential removal
Golf
Clear tableau columns
Solitaire Evolution Timeline
1700s - The Beginning
- �?1765: First patience games in Northern Europe
- �?1780s: Fortune-telling with cards becomes popular
- �?1790s: Early tableau games emerge in France
1800s - Royal Adoption
- �?1810s: Napoleon plays patience in exile
- �?1870s: Victorian England embraces solitaire
- �?1890s: First solitaire books published
- �?1890s: Klondike appears during gold rush
1900s - Mass Popularity
- �?1910s: Canfield gambling houses
- �?1940s: Spider Solitaire invented
- �?1978: Paul Alfille creates FreeCell
- �?1990: Microsoft includes Solitaire in Windows
2000s - Digital Revolution
- �?2000s: Online solitaire websites emerge
- �?2007: Mobile solitaire apps begin
- �?2012: Microsoft Solitaire Collection
- �?2020s: 500+ variants available online
Understanding Game Relationships
Solitaire games influence each other in fascinating ways. Understanding these relationships helps you master new variants quickly by leveraging skills from familiar games.
Skill Transfer Map
Popular Hybrid Games
Interactive Family Explorer
Discover Your Game's Family
Use our interactive tool to explore how your favorite solitaire game connects to others in the family tree. See relationships, learn history, and find new games to try!
Interactive tool requires JavaScript �?Works on all devices
Your Solitaire Learning Path
Based on the family tree, here's the optimal path for mastering solitaire games:
Start Here
Build Skills
Master Challenges
Ultimate Tests
Frequently Asked Questions
Continue Your Journey
About the Author
Dr. Alexandra Reed
Dr. Reed is a game historian and mathematician who has spent over 15 years researching the evolution of card games. She holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and has authored three books on solitaire history and strategy. Her research has documented over 200 previously unknown solitaire variants from around the world.
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