How We Make and Test Solitaire Games

Rule versions

Solitaire names are not always exact. Games such as Golf, Canfield, Scorpion, Klondike, and Aces Up have been printed, taught, and implemented with small rule differences for a long time.

For each page, we try to explain the rule version used on the site: deck count, tableau layout, stock and redeal rules, empty-space rules, foundation rules, and any variant choices that change the way the game plays.

How deals are made

The games run in your browser with ordinary JavaScript. A new game builds the correct deck for that variation, shuffles it, and deals it according to the page rules. The site does not require an account or a download to play.

Most solitaire pages use random deals and do not claim that every shuffle is winnable. If a page has a solver, a winnable-check option, or another special deal filter, the page should say so directly.

Technical testing

Brian implements the game logic and checks important rule behavior before a game is published. The site includes automated rule smoke tests for the solitaire variants, plus manual play checks for moves that are easy to get subtly wrong.

• Legal and illegal moves for tableau, foundations, reserves, waste, and stock.
• Undo, restart, hint, draw, redeal, and win-detection behavior where a game uses it.
• Blocked positions, empty piles, hidden cards, exposed cards, and variant-specific rules.
• Keyboard, tap, and narrow-screen checks for the playable board.

Player review

Karan reviews pages from a player and clarity perspective. That means checking whether the rules are readable, whether examples match the playable game, whether the page avoids overstating win chances, and whether the strategy notes help a real player make better decisions.

This matters because many solitaire mistakes are not programming errors alone. A page can be technically playable and still confuse players if a rule version, exception, or strategy note is not clear enough.

Difficulty labels

Difficulty wording is based on the actual rule set: how much information is visible, how strict movement is, how many redeals or holding spaces exist, and how often the game leaves the player with narrow choices. These labels are practical guideposts, not a promise that every player or every shuffle will feel the same.

Corrections

If a player reports a rule issue, bug, unclear example, or mobile layout problem, we try to reproduce it, compare it with the rule version stated on the page, update the wording or game logic, and rerun the relevant checks before publishing the fix.

You can report corrections through the contact page. The most useful reports include the page, device or browser, the card position if it is a move bug, and what you expected to happen.