First there was solitaire, not there is pyramid solitaire. The End... well not quite.
One thing we should all be thankful for is that solitaire made it onto computers the world over and saved people from having to manually shuffle and pack out the game again and again. Apart from doing that it took the game from a few lonely cat ladies playing it on their beds to literally millions the world over joining in.
Since Windows 3.1 was released in 1990 solitaire has been a game that came with the operating system. It has popped in and out of the standard features of the OS, but that didn't stop the world's fascination with the game.
When the internet joined in on the solitaire action things started going a bit crazy and different variations and combinations of variations of the game started popping up.
In essence there are only a couple of main contenders for the crown. They are:
Spider solitaire (the most popular version on the planet)
Klondike solitaire (the original released with windows)
Pyramid solitaire (a little solitaire mashed up with a little math)
Tri peaks solitaire (high speed, but relatively easy solitaire)
Mahjong solitaire (the solitaire game that isn't a solitaire game)
That brings us to today and our look at the many faces of #3: pyramid backlinks solitaire
The main cause of productivity loss in offices since 1990... oh and then there was minesweeper, but that is a whole different discussion
So enough of the history. What about the games?
You have to commend the pioneers of pyramid solitaire. Their hearts were in the right places, but sometimes they completely missed the plot.
Over the years we have come across versions of the game that fall into three main categories:
The originals - these are the ones where it is the game, the whole game and nothing but the game
The hybrids - these are combinations of the original with some extra flavor mixed in that can result in you just as easily confusing it for another game
The what were they thinking? - sadly this is where the creative juices overflowed and it lead to the drowning of what was a good idea initially
Our top 5 versions of pyramid solitaire
Pyramid solitaire deluxe: It is an original version of the game with a few sensible extras. It looks better than the original versions and offers a better challenge
Classic pyramid solitaire: Not as good looking as the "deluxe" version, but like we said: why change something that is working well?
Cardmania pyramid solitaire: This is the version with the best logical step up in our opinion. It offers a time challenge as well as multiple challenging stages.
Pyramid solitaire: Ancient Egypt: Yes, we know it is one of the crazy versions. That said it was put together better than many of its weirder cousins. It has a number of interesting features that makes it really challenging.
Pyramid mahjong solitaire: Our favorite hybrid of the lot. Everyone loves a bit of mahjong from time to time, so why not combine it with the original?
Why you should play + how you play
A game of pyramid solitaire however works a little different from others in that you won't be looking for two cards with the same value or a sequence of cards to remove them. If you want to remove a card from the pyramid you would need to remove two cards with a total value of 13.
The card values the game work like this:
Ace = 1
King = 13
Queen = 12
Jack = 11
The numbered cards = the value printed on them
The only card you can remove without pairing it with another is the King. If you want to remove a Jack however you would need to select an open 2 card as well.
Some of the layouts of the game you will come across will be more challenging than others and you won't be able to remove all of the cards on a regular basis. Don't despair however as with all things worth it, a little practice is the best medicine at getting better at it.
When playing pyramid solitaire you will give your mind a good workout outside of your regular daily grind. In order to successfully remove all of the cards you need to do a couple of things:
Try to remove cards that cover more than one card first. This gives you a statistically better chance of clearing the table with subsequent moves.
Always first play from the pyramid itself without drawing from the cards stacked below the pyramid. If you first remove the cards that are already there, you will be left with more options in the deck to help you later on.
Think a couple of moves ahead. When you first start playing this won't happen and you will often get down to a handful of cards, but have no options left. You need to think ahead about your options and the moves as they will follow on one another.
The game is easy to learn, but you will have to spend some time on it if you really want to get good at it.
Download vs App vs Online vs Buying
Downloading: Don't do it. Back in the good old days of the internet (the nineties) it was still innocent and friendly. There are however so many hidden little nasties that they can mix in with executable programs these days that it is just not worth it. Trust no one.
Apps: The different app stores are luckily a bit more strict about what they allow in the front door. If you want something for your phone / tablet then downloading FROM THE STORES is a good idea. (Take note of my big screaming letters: just to reiterate that is a bad idea to download from random sites).
Online: Playing online is both safe and easy. There are countless websites that allow people the opportunity to play online. The game will load in your browser and the only thing you might need to do is to update your flash player (from Adobe or another reputable company) or Java. They are available online 24/7, so you can play whenever you feel like it.
Buying: Please don't do that! They are available for free online and as apps. Why spend money on something that is free?!?!?! Now you need to go out into the world and play! There is no more need for you to waste your time today on pesky work things. Join the movement for low productivity with solitaire as its president.
On a more serious note... If you want to pick up a hobby that is actually a good workout for your brain and can help clear out those cobwebs that work can cause, then you should be playing card games like these.
The puzzle element that they offer is a challenge that will keep your brain sharp and help you improve your problem solving abilities.
Thys du Plooy is the creator of pyramidpatience.com a site dedicated to pyramid solitaire. Since the turn of the century he has been involved in playing games online and making a living working on the internet.
One thing we should all be thankful for is that solitaire made it onto computers the world over and saved people from having to manually shuffle and pack out the game again and again. Apart from doing that it took the game from a few lonely cat ladies playing it on their beds to literally millions the world over joining in.
Since Windows 3.1 was released in 1990 solitaire has been a game that came with the operating system. It has popped in and out of the standard features of the OS, but that didn't stop the world's fascination with the game.
When the internet joined in on the solitaire action things started going a bit crazy and different variations and combinations of variations of the game started popping up.
In essence there are only a couple of main contenders for the crown. They are:
Spider solitaire (the most popular version on the planet)
Klondike solitaire (the original released with windows)
Pyramid solitaire (a little solitaire mashed up with a little math)
Tri peaks solitaire (high speed, but relatively easy solitaire)
Mahjong solitaire (the solitaire game that isn't a solitaire game)
That brings us to today and our look at the many faces of #3: pyramid backlinks solitaire
The main cause of productivity loss in offices since 1990... oh and then there was minesweeper, but that is a whole different discussion
So enough of the history. What about the games?
You have to commend the pioneers of pyramid solitaire. Their hearts were in the right places, but sometimes they completely missed the plot.
Over the years we have come across versions of the game that fall into three main categories:
The originals - these are the ones where it is the game, the whole game and nothing but the game
The hybrids - these are combinations of the original with some extra flavor mixed in that can result in you just as easily confusing it for another game
The what were they thinking? - sadly this is where the creative juices overflowed and it lead to the drowning of what was a good idea initially
Our top 5 versions of pyramid solitaire
Pyramid solitaire deluxe: It is an original version of the game with a few sensible extras. It looks better than the original versions and offers a better challenge
Classic pyramid solitaire: Not as good looking as the "deluxe" version, but like we said: why change something that is working well?
Cardmania pyramid solitaire: This is the version with the best logical step up in our opinion. It offers a time challenge as well as multiple challenging stages.
Pyramid solitaire: Ancient Egypt: Yes, we know it is one of the crazy versions. That said it was put together better than many of its weirder cousins. It has a number of interesting features that makes it really challenging.
Pyramid mahjong solitaire: Our favorite hybrid of the lot. Everyone loves a bit of mahjong from time to time, so why not combine it with the original?
Why you should play + how you play
A game of pyramid solitaire however works a little different from others in that you won't be looking for two cards with the same value or a sequence of cards to remove them. If you want to remove a card from the pyramid you would need to remove two cards with a total value of 13.
The card values the game work like this:
Ace = 1
King = 13
Queen = 12
Jack = 11
The numbered cards = the value printed on them
The only card you can remove without pairing it with another is the King. If you want to remove a Jack however you would need to select an open 2 card as well.
Some of the layouts of the game you will come across will be more challenging than others and you won't be able to remove all of the cards on a regular basis. Don't despair however as with all things worth it, a little practice is the best medicine at getting better at it.
When playing pyramid solitaire you will give your mind a good workout outside of your regular daily grind. In order to successfully remove all of the cards you need to do a couple of things:
Try to remove cards that cover more than one card first. This gives you a statistically better chance of clearing the table with subsequent moves.
Always first play from the pyramid itself without drawing from the cards stacked below the pyramid. If you first remove the cards that are already there, you will be left with more options in the deck to help you later on.
Think a couple of moves ahead. When you first start playing this won't happen and you will often get down to a handful of cards, but have no options left. You need to think ahead about your options and the moves as they will follow on one another.
The game is easy to learn, but you will have to spend some time on it if you really want to get good at it.
Download vs App vs Online vs Buying
Downloading: Don't do it. Back in the good old days of the internet (the nineties) it was still innocent and friendly. There are however so many hidden little nasties that they can mix in with executable programs these days that it is just not worth it. Trust no one.
Apps: The different app stores are luckily a bit more strict about what they allow in the front door. If you want something for your phone / tablet then downloading FROM THE STORES is a good idea. (Take note of my big screaming letters: just to reiterate that is a bad idea to download from random sites).
Online: Playing online is both safe and easy. There are countless websites that allow people the opportunity to play online. The game will load in your browser and the only thing you might need to do is to update your flash player (from Adobe or another reputable company) or Java. They are available online 24/7, so you can play whenever you feel like it.
Buying: Please don't do that! They are available for free online and as apps. Why spend money on something that is free?!?!?! Now you need to go out into the world and play! There is no more need for you to waste your time today on pesky work things. Join the movement for low productivity with solitaire as its president.
On a more serious note... If you want to pick up a hobby that is actually a good workout for your brain and can help clear out those cobwebs that work can cause, then you should be playing card games like these.
The puzzle element that they offer is a challenge that will keep your brain sharp and help you improve your problem solving abilities.
Thys du Plooy is the creator of pyramidpatience.com a site dedicated to pyramid solitaire. Since the turn of the century he has been involved in playing games online and making a living working on the internet.
