With just a little over a 2.3% win rate, Quadruple Yukon Solitaire is the most difficult-to-beat Solitaire variation. Solitaire is a unique card game that offers different difficulty levels for each variation. For example, as a beginner, start with the most classic Solitaire variation, like Klondike.
Recreational Solitaire players might enjoy Spider or Pyramid Solitaire variations. They provide a sufficient difficulty level for those used to Klondike. If you're a pro or seasoned veteran of Solitaire, try your skills with FreeCell and Yukon Solitaire variations. They provide a challenge even for experts.
Everyone, no matter their age, can play Solitaire and feel excited. You need a variation that suits you best. In this post, you will learn about five Solitaire games for different skill levels.
1. Klondike — The Timeless Classic
Playing strategy games can help you reduce your chances of getting neurological diseases in your older years. Solitaire can provide a perfect balance between luck and skill for improving your mental health. If you are new to the Solitaire world, you would want to learn the basics of this game with Klondike Solitaire.
The 1990 release of Windows 3.0 introduced Klondike Solitaire to wider masses. Accessible from any modern device, Klondike Solitaire still provides its players with baseline knowledge about the game. It offers an easy start into the Solitaire universe with a bit of nostalgia.
Klondike Solitaire has simple rules and fast gameplay. Each game usually takes five minutes. The Klondike layout consists of a 52-card deck. Then, there is a tableau that consists of:
- Seven stockpiles with 28 cards.
- One stock with 24 cards.
- Four foundations.
The goal is to move all cards from the stockpiles and the facedown stock to four foundations by suit in ascending order. The trick is that you can only see the top card of each pile, and each new stockpile contains one more card than the previous one.
2. Spider Solitaire — Intermediate-Level
Although Spider Solitaire originated in 1949, it wasn’t until 1998 that Microsoft released Windows Spider Solitaire, introducing it to millions. Spider Solitaire has several differences when compared to Klondike, like a 104-card deck and 10 stockpiles.
The rules are similar, but the goal is to build eight complete King-to-Ace sequences in the tableau. Spider Solitaire takes longer to complete due to twice as many cards.
Players who want to advance in Solitaire might find this variation helpful, as it requires more strategy and patience.
3. Pyramid Solitaire — Casual Difficulty
Introduced on Windows in 1991, Pyramid Solitaire is another Solitaire variation. With Pyramid Solitaire, you get a new layout of cards in the pyramid form, a drawpile, and a wastepile.
The top card of each stack is open. The goal of the game is to form pairs of cards with an added value of 13. Here is how the cards are scored in Pyramid Solitaire:
- Number cards bear their number value.
- Kings are equal to 13 points and can be removed from the pyramid without a pair if open and not overlapped.
- Queens bear a 12-point value.
- Jacks bear 11-point values.
- Aces bear a one-point value, meaning they can only pair with Queens.
There are seven rows. The top row has one open card, and the second row has two cards that overlap the first-row card. Then, the third and so on rows have one more card than the previous row and overlap the cards of the previous row. You can draw cards from the drawpile one by one to use for pairing or place them in the wastepile for later use.
The Pyramid Solitaire variation is for math fanatics who like counting. It is for those who are bored with regular Solitaire and want a quick session with a new layout and mechanics.
4. FreeCell — High-Level Logic
FreeCell Solitaire takes it up a notch by reducing the luck aspect and introducing free cells. It’s a 52-card Solitaire variation with four foundations, eight stockpiles, and four free cells.
With all cards being open in FreeCell, the aspect of randomness is minimized. You can win almost every layout in FreeCell if you strategize and use pattern recognition skills. This Solitaire variation may take several days to get used to. That’s why most prefer to start with Klondike Solitaire to get them up to speed.
Although all cards are open in FreeCell, you usually move the top card of each stockpile. A free cell is a space where you can place one card so you can use it later. The availability of free cells makes it easier to sort cards to get the one you need from a stockpile.
The trick with FreeCell is to try not to fill four free cells and not to pile up too many cards in one stockpile early in the game. This Solitaire variation is perfect for seasoned players who like planning and don’t like surprises.
5. Yukon — Expert-Level Freedom
Yukon is one of the most difficult Solitaire variations. It became available for players later with the Microsoft Solitaire Collection in 2012. The idiosyncrasies of this Solitaire variation lie in the absence of a wastepile. Yukon Solitaire is for experts since it requires planning many steps and layered gameplay.
In Yukon Solitaire, you get the same seven stockpiles. However, all 52 cards are shuffled into them. The first pile has only one open card. The second pile has six cards, five of which are open. The next piles have one more hidden card than the pile before them and the same number of open cards.
The goal is to move all cards from stockpiles into four foundations. However, you have access to fewer cards without a wastepile like in Klondike. The bonus is that you can move any open card and cards before it to another pile. The suit color of the top card and the moved card should be different, and the moved card is one rank lower.
Challenge Yourself With the Full Solitaire Collection Online!
Solitaire is a versatile table game with multiple options for different skill levels. You can try Yukon Solitaire if you think you will be able to handle the absence of free cells and a stock deck. However, you can always choose an easier Solitaire variation and learn the basics first.
