Scouring the world of online Solitaire is a lot like going through a very long menu (at least for me). There are so many options. You might feel like just shutting down your computer and going outside for a walk rather than trying to figure out which one to choose. Being a Solitaire fanatic, this wasn’t an option for me. So, I had to go through the trouble of figuring out which online platform is the most rewarding.
However, I didn’t let my efforts go to waste. I knew that there would be other folks out there looking to find out which Solitaire experience is the best. As such, I’ve put together a list of my top three Solitaire platforms (although other opinions are naturally welcome). I hope to spare you the trouble of navigating through the plethora of options and battling the paradox of choice.
The Charm of Digital Solitaire
Before I dive into my favorites, let’s preface this guide with a little insight into why digital Solitaire is more convenient than the old-fashioned method of setting up the physical game yourself. Although it might be tempting to throw away all the fancy technologically nuanced options on the market, digital solitaire has its merits.
For one, how many games can you set up before getting annoyed? I don’t know about you, but I often hit my limit after reshuffling a game for the fifth time in succession. Digital solitaire rids you of that chore. All you have to do is click ‘new game’, and a new deck of cards will instantly be waiting for you.
You can also incorporate many novel features into digital Solitaire – features that might be impossible to inject into the physical version. For instance, many online Solitaire platforms now include ‘hints’ and ‘undo’ as standard options, making life a lot more convenient for the average player.
The Features of a Great Online Solitaire Platform
If you ask me what the hallmark of a great Solitaire platform is, I will list five primary metrics for evaluation. When you take a game like Solitaire to the digital realm, you have to consider the following important factors:
- Customization options
- User-friendliness
- Game mode variety
- Gameplay and performance
- Extra features
Although there are certainly additional aspects to consider, these five factors can be used to assess the proficiency of a Solitaire website quite well. As I dive into a comparison between the best online Solitaire platforms, these five factors will inform my evaluations and judgments.
Top Digital Solitaire Experiences
After several days (and games) of grinding on different Solitaire platforms, I managed to shortlist my top three. I tried to space out my games and approach things with an open mind. The goal was to avoid bias (as much as possible) while compiling this list. So, let’s get into why I chose these three sites and which one stands out as the best.
1. Thesolitaire.com
| Customization options | 9/10 |
| User-friendliness | 8/10 |
| Game variety | 8/10 |
| Gameplay and performance | 7/10 |
| Extra features | 6/10 |
For me, thesolitaire.com takes first place. This is probably because I take aesthetics and playability seriously. There are a variety of customization options available on the website. If you’ve got a particular style or aesthetic in mind, chances are that thesolitaire.com will have something you like (if not exactly what you want).
The game variety isn’t anything to sleep on either. You can choose variants within variants of games on this platform. For instance, Klondike is split into 1 Card draw and 3 Card draw. Spider is split into 1 Suit, 2 Suit, and 4 Suit versions. If you want to explore beyond these games, then you can even dabble in some Mahjong and Jigsaw to tease your brain a bit more.
Although it doesn’t focus on extra features as much as the other two platforms in this list, thesolitaire.com has most of the features you’d expect from a Solitaire website. So, you needn’t worry that you’re missing out on too much.
2. Solitaired.com
| Customization options | 7/10 |
| User-friendliness | 7/10 |
| Game variety | 9/10 |
| Gameplay and performance | 7/10 |
| Extra features | 6/10 |
Solitaired.com has carved its niche in the Solitaire world as the platform that offers pretty much everything related to Solitaire games. Its game variety is unparalleled in the online Solitaire world. There are so many options that I started scratching my head over the variety of games. I’d never even heard of some of them. It turns out that I might not be as savvy when it comes to Solitaire variants as I thought I was.
Although the gameplay generally runs well, the artist in me would have preferred a few more options in terms of aesthetics and design. Solitaired.com has some rather quirky backgrounds and card design options. But, I couldn’t seem to find one that appealed to an old-fashioned soul like me. This is, however, not to say that others won’t find some of the styles appealing.
3. Cardgames.io
| Customization options | 6/10 |
| User-friendliness | 7/10 |
| Game variety | 10/10 |
| Gameplay and performance | 6/10 |
| Extra features | 6/10 |
Cardgames.io has the same thing going for it as solitaire.com – a diverse variety of games. These go beyond just Solitaire. You’ll find Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, and other games that you’ve probably never heard of before.
Because it has incorporated so many games, cardgames.io has a few shortcomings. These emerge from the complications involved in keeping such a diverse catalog. The main gripe I have with the platform is that each game has rather basic designs and variations. This probably arises from declining to focus on a specific game type.
Nonetheless, if you like switching between many different games without having to change platforms, then cardGames.io might just be the platform for you.
| Platform | Customization options | User-friendliness | Game variety | Gameplay and performance | Extra features |
| 1.Thesolitaire.com | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 2.Solitaired.com | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| 3.Cardgames.io | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
Closing Remarks
Hopefully, you’ll now find it a bit easier to navigate the seemingly endless number of online Solitaire platforms out there. My breakdown should help you zoom in on the best digital Solitaire experience. That said, what matters most at the end of the day is your specific preferences and which features you value the most.
