Solitaire is something of a trivial game. Some folks find this to be one of the game’s appeals. In a world where the latest video games and movies are infused with cutting-edge graphics and stimulating visual effects, having a game where I can sit down and (simply) match cards feels like a breath of fresh air.
That said, introducing a touch of customization never hurt anyone. Although I’m quite old school in many ways, looking at the same background, colors, and cards can get boring. With the emergence of online Solitaire platforms, some websites now allow you to play with different themes – a feature that I enjoy taking advantage of. After all, as human beings, we love novelty, don’t we?
What is Solitaire Game Customization?
Customizing your Solitaire game essentially involves designing the relevant aesthetic themes. Different online platforms allow you to tune certain aspects of the game to your preferences. There will be a variety of ways in which you can do this. But, for the sake of setting a standard, I’ll just tell you about my personal favorite – thesolitaire.com. This platform lets you glam up your game’s theme in several user-friendly ways.
There are three features you can change on the platform. These are:
- Background customization
- Card customization
- Card back customization
I’ll cover each aspect in a little more detail. This will allow you to decide which customizations are going to make your Solitaire games the most engaging.
Background Customization
The most common type of customization people opt for involves the background. This makes sense. The background is one of the most obvious features that you notice in an online Solitaire game. Having a background that you don’t vibe with can ruin the experience.
Fortunately, thesolitaire.com offers a myriad of different background textures. In fact, you can choose from 16 different themes, each with a different nuance. Toward the end of the listed options, you’ll find a range of wood-based themes. This is where I found my personal favorite – mahogany.
Card Customization
Next, there are card front customizations. These change the faces and suit designs on the front of the cards. So, if you like your four-leaf clovers a little more leafy or your diamonds a bit more elongated, then you’ll want to explore this option.
At thesolitaire.com, you can actually choose from eight different themes. These range from modern to contemporary designs. My personal favorite is the last one in the listed options – an animated design where all the face cards look cartoonish.
Card Back Customization
You can also tweak the backs of the card decks. This is a relatively bland feature compared to the rest. Maybe that’s just my personal bias speaking. I never really focus too much on the card backs. You might, though, have different priorities, which is, of course, perfectly okay.
If you like changing up your card backs, then you’re in luck because thesolitaire.com has 13 different themes you can experiment with. To me, each card back theme only feels slightly different from the others. However, you might find one that you truly prefer. So, go ahead and give the different options a look.
| Customization type | Description | Number of themes |
| Background customization | Changes the background texture of the game. | 16 themes |
| Card front customization | Alters the faces and suit designs on the card fronts. | 8 themes |
| Card back customization | Modifies the designs on the backs of the cards. | 13 themes |
How to Customize Decks on thesolitaire.com
I have mentioned all these options without telling you how to actually customize your theme. This detail sometimes gets glossed over in gaming instructions because it’s taken to be obvious. However, I’ll explain briefly how you can find the relevant customization options and navigate through them.
All you have to do is click the settings button on the bottom right-hand side of your screen. After that, click the arrows on the background, deck, or card back settings to rotate between styles. Do so until you reach the one you like the most. Then, click back on the game; the change will have been made.
Conclusion
I realize that some folks might just prefer to enjoy the game as it is. Customization isn’t for everyone. But, if you fancy some of the alternative themes, then go ahead and pick one you like. You might even want to try a different option each day or week.
