The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection is here! Inside you will find all seven Zachtronics solitaire games, updated with new 4K graphics, plus one brand new Tarot-themed solitaire variant only available here.
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I picked up Shenzhen Solitaire by Zachtronics a couple years ago and didn't think much of it. I played it a little and found it confusing and arcane. My mind couldn't think or plan ahead the way the game needed you to, and I got frustrated having to reset constantly.
For a long time I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy, in all aspects of my life. What is self-worth when you have so little with which to define one's self? The kind of destructive thinking that informs anything and everything you do. I have 3000+ hours on Paladins. More than half of that time I have probably spent frustrated- about my aim, my KDA, my game sense and knowledge. Constantly checking the stat trackers, getting discouraged that I can never be like the good players.
Shenzhen Solitaire has a way of sneaking up on you, as you sit there resetting the board. I got into the habit of clicking and slightly dragging a card over and over as I scan the board for possible routes, the way someone might shuffle or fidget with a physical deck of cards. The same droning ambient loop plays in perpetuity, to this day I don't even know if I really even like it. But I could listen to that loop for hours, and I did end up listening to it for hours. Turning it off was weird- the silence actually felt deafening.
Getting my first win was a revelatory moment, cause I had probably lost 50-100 times before I finally cleared the board. The feeling of accomplishment may have been the closest I had gotten to self-actualization in a long time. I have these moments of hyperfixation my entire life. They all matter to me in different ways, but solitaires a bit different. I felt like I was clearing cobwebs in my brain through constant iteration. I felt satisfied, and I realized I had stopped getting frustrated a long time ago. Awhile later, I reached 20 wins, and it clicked for me why it was working so well for me. It's because I was feeling, for a brief moment in the whirlwind of life, like I was actually at peace.
There's a lot of writing out there on what makes solitaire so compelling. Francine Prose wrote in Solitaire: Me vs. Me the following: "Like writing, it’s entirely private, the exertion is purely cerebral; you’re playing against yourself, against your previous best, against the law of averages and the forces of chance. You’re taking random elements and trying to put them together in a pleasing way, to make order out of chaos."
As I sit there, fighting against both my brain and the board state, I finally make a move that allows me to sort out an entire pile. I feel a feeling of elation that video games very rarely give me anymore. Its as if my thoughts have decayed by the constant low-level dread of depression, and I have sunk into the worst kinds of maladaptive coping mechanism. Competitive online gaming gave me an outlet to let out frustration and anxiety, but I rarely was feeling good whether I won or I lost. I was always on-edge, always annoyed at something. Even the act of running the game itself became a source of anxiety. Researching monitors, FPS optimizations, mouse polling rates and DPI. Everything felt like a constant tightrope and I think to myself, when did this stop being a game? When did I stop having fun doing this?
Zachtronics Solitaire Collection has allowed me a calm respite in the storm of my thoughts- a world in which I can both relax and challenge myself in a healthy manner. While regular Freecell and Klondike solitaire are very simple conceptually, they provide a solid blueprint for creatives to remix into extremely deep play experiences.Fortune's Foundation, with its beautiful tarot cards and complicated ruleset, is a particular standout. It has so many possible fail states that Zach included an Undo button, which is somewhat of a rarity in the popular Solitaire-likes. Even with the option, it's such a difficult game that I have yet to clear it. I have gotten close- so tantalizingly close- only to realize an action I made 50 moves ago has painted me in a corner. I realize it, I note where I went wrong, I reset, and I try again.
I think it has taught me to deal with failure in a far more healthy way. I come from a career field where making a mistake is met with open hostility, and I make many mistakes. It's so easy to internalize failure in the immediate moment as an inherent failing of either the self or others. In the smorgasboard of sight and sound that is competitive gaming, where its so easy to tie your self-worth with your mechanical skill, it becomes natural to spiral into the worst impulses.
The repetitive, calming nature of solitaire has become a therapeutic exercise for me, in ways I mostly imagined games to be. I long called gaming my coping mechanism- but it was hardly anything like that. Being able to find an experience like this, in solitude, has made all the difference for me. Gaming is a personal experience, as all art is. So what makes something like a standard deck of cards into a meditative gaming experience is just that.
In Solitaire, all that awaits failure is the humdrum ambience of the background and the opportunity to reset the board and try again. In solitude, I learned to center myself in the moment rather than allow my anxiety to consume my every thought. In solitude, I learned to give myself a chance.
For a long time I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy, in all aspects of my life. What is self-worth when you have so little with which to define one's self? The kind of destructive thinking that informs anything and everything you do. I have 3000+ hours on Paladins. More than half of that time I have probably spent frustrated- about my aim, my KDA, my game sense and knowledge. Constantly checking the stat trackers, getting discouraged that I can never be like the good players.
Shenzhen Solitaire has a way of sneaking up on you, as you sit there resetting the board. I got into the habit of clicking and slightly dragging a card over and over as I scan the board for possible routes, the way someone might shuffle or fidget with a physical deck of cards. The same droning ambient loop plays in perpetuity, to this day I don't even know if I really even like it. But I could listen to that loop for hours, and I did end up listening to it for hours. Turning it off was weird- the silence actually felt deafening.
Getting my first win was a revelatory moment, cause I had probably lost 50-100 times before I finally cleared the board. The feeling of accomplishment may have been the closest I had gotten to self-actualization in a long time. I have these moments of hyperfixation my entire life. They all matter to me in different ways, but solitaires a bit different. I felt like I was clearing cobwebs in my brain through constant iteration. I felt satisfied, and I realized I had stopped getting frustrated a long time ago. Awhile later, I reached 20 wins, and it clicked for me why it was working so well for me. It's because I was feeling, for a brief moment in the whirlwind of life, like I was actually at peace.
There's a lot of writing out there on what makes solitaire so compelling. Francine Prose wrote in Solitaire: Me vs. Me the following: "Like writing, it’s entirely private, the exertion is purely cerebral; you’re playing against yourself, against your previous best, against the law of averages and the forces of chance. You’re taking random elements and trying to put them together in a pleasing way, to make order out of chaos."
As I sit there, fighting against both my brain and the board state, I finally make a move that allows me to sort out an entire pile. I feel a feeling of elation that video games very rarely give me anymore. Its as if my thoughts have decayed by the constant low-level dread of depression, and I have sunk into the worst kinds of maladaptive coping mechanism. Competitive online gaming gave me an outlet to let out frustration and anxiety, but I rarely was feeling good whether I won or I lost. I was always on-edge, always annoyed at something. Even the act of running the game itself became a source of anxiety. Researching monitors, FPS optimizations, mouse polling rates and DPI. Everything felt like a constant tightrope and I think to myself, when did this stop being a game? When did I stop having fun doing this?
Zachtronics Solitaire Collection has allowed me a calm respite in the storm of my thoughts- a world in which I can both relax and challenge myself in a healthy manner. While regular Freecell and Klondike solitaire are very simple conceptually, they provide a solid blueprint for creatives to remix into extremely deep play experiences.Fortune's Foundation, with its beautiful tarot cards and complicated ruleset, is a particular standout. It has so many possible fail states that Zach included an Undo button, which is somewhat of a rarity in the popular Solitaire-likes. Even with the option, it's such a difficult game that I have yet to clear it. I have gotten close- so tantalizingly close- only to realize an action I made 50 moves ago has painted me in a corner. I realize it, I note where I went wrong, I reset, and I try again.
I think it has taught me to deal with failure in a far more healthy way. I come from a career field where making a mistake is met with open hostility, and I make many mistakes. It's so easy to internalize failure in the immediate moment as an inherent failing of either the self or others. In the smorgasboard of sight and sound that is competitive gaming, where its so easy to tie your self-worth with your mechanical skill, it becomes natural to spiral into the worst impulses.
The repetitive, calming nature of solitaire has become a therapeutic exercise for me, in ways I mostly imagined games to be. I long called gaming my coping mechanism- but it was hardly anything like that. Being able to find an experience like this, in solitude, has made all the difference for me. Gaming is a personal experience, as all art is. So what makes something like a standard deck of cards into a meditative gaming experience is just that.
In Solitaire, all that awaits failure is the humdrum ambience of the background and the opportunity to reset the board and try again. In solitude, I learned to center myself in the moment rather than allow my anxiety to consume my every thought. In solitude, I learned to give myself a chance.
From the makers of "Games I'm Too Dumb To Play" comes a collection of card games nobody has to see me lose. I picked up Last Call BBS last year and got weirdly addicted to Sawayama Solitaire. Normally solitaire bores me to tears. But the music wormed its way into my head and then I just couldn't put it down. I thought to myself "boy, it sure would be nice if there was a way I could just play Sawayama Solitaire any time I wanted and get nothing done at work". Ten bucks and one hundred wins later, here we are. Sometimes dreams really do come true.
I haven't even tried the other games. I don't think I need to. If you enjoy solitaire there's a solid chance you'll enjoy this. It's cheap. Maybe cheaper? I think it's like five bucks on GOG as I'm writing this. Anyways, just grab it.
Thanks, Zachtronics.
I haven't even tried the other games. I don't think I need to. If you enjoy solitaire there's a solid chance you'll enjoy this. It's cheap. Maybe cheaper? I think it's like five bucks on GOG as I'm writing this. Anyways, just grab it.
Thanks, Zachtronics.
I never thought I'd become a Solitaire Guy but here I am in love with a collection of solitaire and solitaire-likes from a developer whose other games I'm too stupid to play. In order;
Sayawama Solitaire
A more refined and quicker version of Klondike, it tricks you into thinking that letting you to play any card in the freecell or empty column would make it easier, but it's just more options to block yourself. The most classic of the collection and the best starting point.
Sigmar’s Garden
Not really solitaire in the literal sense, more of a complex match up game, the whole board is visible so you can spend some time thinking about your moves. I didn't really gel with this one, but lots of people exclusively place this.
Proletariat’s Patience
Similar to Shenzen Solitaire but without the freecell. It's very easy to restrict your options quickly by locking away precious columns. Very cool aesthetic.
Cribbage Solitaire
Pretty standard cribbage, and the only one which shows how other players went in the deck since the open board can't be randomised. Proves that most players don't spend time to look further up the board to stratergise since most people don't win the games. Uses real NATO identification cards from the Cold War which is cool!
Cluj Solitaire
A fun variant where you can kind of cheat by putting any card on top of another but it locks the column until you place it back on an acceptable card or free column. It's the easiest one to fuck up and lose. Also has the worst design and the music is not enjoyable.
Kabufuda Solitaire
Classic Klondike but made hard by the fact that the suits looks similar which can be drain, gets progressively easier by unlocking freecells when you match a set up.
Shenzhen Solitaire
The best of the lot, similar to Proletariat’s Patience but you can lock the matching face cards into the freecell to clear up the board which is both a blessing and a curse. uses 3 colour suits which you think would make it easier but balancing the suits in the column is the big trick to winning. My personal favourite.
Fortune’s Foundation
I am too stupid and not dedicated enough to really get into this one. Very challenging with a reverse order face suit, only one with a undo function for good reason. By the steam community posting seems to be a favourite with Japanese people who exclusively play this one for hundreds of games.
Sayawama Solitaire
A more refined and quicker version of Klondike, it tricks you into thinking that letting you to play any card in the freecell or empty column would make it easier, but it's just more options to block yourself. The most classic of the collection and the best starting point.
Sigmar’s Garden
Not really solitaire in the literal sense, more of a complex match up game, the whole board is visible so you can spend some time thinking about your moves. I didn't really gel with this one, but lots of people exclusively place this.
Proletariat’s Patience
Similar to Shenzen Solitaire but without the freecell. It's very easy to restrict your options quickly by locking away precious columns. Very cool aesthetic.
Cribbage Solitaire
Pretty standard cribbage, and the only one which shows how other players went in the deck since the open board can't be randomised. Proves that most players don't spend time to look further up the board to stratergise since most people don't win the games. Uses real NATO identification cards from the Cold War which is cool!
Cluj Solitaire
A fun variant where you can kind of cheat by putting any card on top of another but it locks the column until you place it back on an acceptable card or free column. It's the easiest one to fuck up and lose. Also has the worst design and the music is not enjoyable.
Kabufuda Solitaire
Classic Klondike but made hard by the fact that the suits looks similar which can be drain, gets progressively easier by unlocking freecells when you match a set up.
Shenzhen Solitaire
The best of the lot, similar to Proletariat’s Patience but you can lock the matching face cards into the freecell to clear up the board which is both a blessing and a curse. uses 3 colour suits which you think would make it easier but balancing the suits in the column is the big trick to winning. My personal favourite.
Fortune’s Foundation
I am too stupid and not dedicated enough to really get into this one. Very challenging with a reverse order face suit, only one with a undo function for good reason. By the steam community posting seems to be a favourite with Japanese people who exclusively play this one for hundreds of games.
Не знаю что они туда кладут но это просто отрыв фляги. Коллекция солитеров которая заставляет каждый день как наркомана ещё и ещё раз за разом проходить одни и те же испытания раз за разом. Отдельный респект зактронику за fortune's foundation, так как этот солитер самый сложный в коллекции проходить его значит получать неимоверное удовольствие как будто только что разложил кубик Рубика или решил какой нибудь интересный пазл. Очень сильно рекомендую если стандартный набор пасьянсов от майкрасофта вас слегка подзаебал и хочется чего-то новенького
Quite good for what it is - as far as I'm aware it's the best collection of solitaire card games in existence. Each game has a beautiful and unique presentation along with some clever twists on the card solitaire formula.
Whenever I boot this game up, I usually warm up with a game of Sawayama or two. Or three. Maybe just one more? It feels the most addictive of them, with less stressful lookahead and more unknowns and chance taking. It also has possibly my favorite aesthetic of the bunch. Probably the one I would show to my Dad if I had to choose.
I don't really play Sigmar's Garden. It feels slightly out of place to me, and I can't force myself to care about doing the actual calculations needed to be decent at it. I match, I match, maybe I get a win. Meh.
Proletariat's Patience is alright, but hindered a bit by its lack of difficulty and the existence of the superior Cluj game. Moreso than most of the other games here, you can kinda just move things around and you'll eventually finish. The conclusion doesn't feel as impactful as the others either, you just kinda sort them and get some Russian words.
Cribbage is another odd one - no sorting here. Its a pretty ingenious way of implementing a single-player version of the pegging portion of Cribbage which I have played quite a bit of. A little easy to win, but the histogram is nice. High scores seem mostly dependent on the arrangement of cards, and specifically getting lucky with runs.
Cluj is an absolute highlight. The "cheating" mechanism is straight brilliance. Very elegant design, just the right level of difficulty, a joy to play.
Kabufuda is similarly great, though not my game of choice typically. It's an elegant game conceptually that hits some of the same notes as Cluj and even Fortune's Foundation, but I find myself being a bit frustrated with the graphic design and my own inability to distinguish suits.
Shenzhen is solid, a bit on the easy side. The three colored cards feel like they should make for some really clever plays in theory but it's really just the one thing that they let you do, and it makes the game a tad too easy. The blocking cards are clever too, but aren't always arranged in the most interesting way. Shenzhen is great with the right deal and very meh on a bad one.
Then finally, Fortune's Foundation... wow. What can you say but peak? It's the hardest game of the collection by far, and the longest game of the collection by a country mile. Moreso than any other game in the collection this one feels strategic more than tactical, you're making very long term plans about what to focus on and how to untangle the knot laid before you. And when you do finally get enough freedom to fully untangle, it feels amazing because it's by far the most earned win of any game here.
Overall, I'd rank the games like so:
1 Fortune's Foundation
2 Cluj Solitaire
3 Sawayama Solitaire
4 Kabufuda Solitaire
5 Shenzhen Solitaire
6 Cribbage Solitaire
7 Proletariat's Patience
8 Sigmar's Garden
And I give the collection overall a hearty recommendation if you're a fan of this sort of game, which you likely know if you are.
Whenever I boot this game up, I usually warm up with a game of Sawayama or two. Or three. Maybe just one more? It feels the most addictive of them, with less stressful lookahead and more unknowns and chance taking. It also has possibly my favorite aesthetic of the bunch. Probably the one I would show to my Dad if I had to choose.
I don't really play Sigmar's Garden. It feels slightly out of place to me, and I can't force myself to care about doing the actual calculations needed to be decent at it. I match, I match, maybe I get a win. Meh.
Proletariat's Patience is alright, but hindered a bit by its lack of difficulty and the existence of the superior Cluj game. Moreso than most of the other games here, you can kinda just move things around and you'll eventually finish. The conclusion doesn't feel as impactful as the others either, you just kinda sort them and get some Russian words.
Cribbage is another odd one - no sorting here. Its a pretty ingenious way of implementing a single-player version of the pegging portion of Cribbage which I have played quite a bit of. A little easy to win, but the histogram is nice. High scores seem mostly dependent on the arrangement of cards, and specifically getting lucky with runs.
Cluj is an absolute highlight. The "cheating" mechanism is straight brilliance. Very elegant design, just the right level of difficulty, a joy to play.
Kabufuda is similarly great, though not my game of choice typically. It's an elegant game conceptually that hits some of the same notes as Cluj and even Fortune's Foundation, but I find myself being a bit frustrated with the graphic design and my own inability to distinguish suits.
Shenzhen is solid, a bit on the easy side. The three colored cards feel like they should make for some really clever plays in theory but it's really just the one thing that they let you do, and it makes the game a tad too easy. The blocking cards are clever too, but aren't always arranged in the most interesting way. Shenzhen is great with the right deal and very meh on a bad one.
Then finally, Fortune's Foundation... wow. What can you say but peak? It's the hardest game of the collection by far, and the longest game of the collection by a country mile. Moreso than any other game in the collection this one feels strategic more than tactical, you're making very long term plans about what to focus on and how to untangle the knot laid before you. And when you do finally get enough freedom to fully untangle, it feels amazing because it's by far the most earned win of any game here.
Overall, I'd rank the games like so:
1 Fortune's Foundation
2 Cluj Solitaire
3 Sawayama Solitaire
4 Kabufuda Solitaire
5 Shenzhen Solitaire
6 Cribbage Solitaire
7 Proletariat's Patience
8 Sigmar's Garden
And I give the collection overall a hearty recommendation if you're a fan of this sort of game, which you likely know if you are.
A really fun collection of unique solitaire games that have more logical thinking to them than a usual game would. Some include variations on everyone's favorites, some feel completely new. I will never actually complete this game 100% because that would require doing all achievements and therefore beating all games 100 times, and one of the solitaires makes my eyes bleed.
I'm not the biggest Zachtronics fan and no game of theirs grabbed me, but this is a cool chill time.
I'm not the biggest Zachtronics fan and no game of theirs grabbed me, but this is a cool chill time.