Despite what you may think, solitaire isn't actually one specific game... it's actually an entire category of different card games. Solitaire is actually any card game that you play on your own. The game called "Solitaire" that Microsoft ships with windows is actually a type of solitaire game, called Klondike.

There are hundreds of other solitaire games as well though. Another favourite is Freecell, which Microsoft also ships. Other popular solitaire games, include Spider, Pyramid, and Tri Peaks.

Each solitaire game has different rules, different ways to win, and different styles.

Some solitaire games, like Klondike, don't show you all the cards at the start. A mixture of luck and skill is needed to win the game.

Other games, like Freecell, have all the cards visible, right from the very start of the game. This means that the game is totally under the users control... there is no luck involved at all, and if the user can think things through deeply enough, then they are VERY likely to win.( Of the 32,000 deals available in Microsofts Freecell, only one, deal number 11982, is unsolveable)

Some games are really hard to win, and require a lot of though. 4 Suit spider is one of these hard games, and completing a game normally takes atleast half an hour of solid thinking. Other games are either quite easy( like most deals in Freecell), or don't require much (if any) thought, like Clock.

Some games have distinctive and attractive card layouts. Pyramid has all the cards in a big pyramid shape, and the player must remove cards from the bottom layers until they can reach the top. La Belle Lucie starts the game with 18 fans, which all grow and shrink as the game goes on. (La Belle Lucie looks particularly attractive on a solitaire game supporting rotated cards)

Some solitaire games were played regularly by important historical figures. George Washington and Napoleon were said to play Napoleon at Elba island, with claims that it helped them to think in times of stress.

All solitaire games help you to think, and improve your concentration and memory- and yet they are still relaxing and fun... A much better way to unwind than watching TV!

No matter who you are, or what mood you're in, there is a type of Solitaire game that you will find fun to play right now. I encourage you to try out a solitaire game package, and discover for yourself all the great fun available in the solitaire universe.

Dan Fletcher is a developer at dogMelon. They make Classic Solitaire, a fun pack of solitaire card games for Mac, PC, and Palm.