The History of Solitaire Card Game — From 18th-Century Tables to Your Screen

Solitaire, also known as patience, has been around for centuries. The history of solitaire card game likely begins in Europe, probably in Germany or Scandinavia, sometime in the late 1700s. Back then, people played it with real cards at their tables — just a simple way to pass the time, practice focus, or even try their luck at fortune-telling.

By the early 1800s, solitaire spread across Europe — especially in France and England — and later made its way to America. Early books with rules for different solitaire games were printed in Sweden and England. Lady Adelaide Cadogan is credited with one of the first English-language books on the subject around 1870, and American author Ednah Cheney followed close behind. By the late 1800s, the solitaire craze was in full swing. Authors like Mary Whitmore-Jones, Professor Hoffmann, and Basil Dalton documented hundreds of unique versions. Most early games followed a simple idea: build suits from Ace to King or pair cards in certain combinations.

The Evolution of Solitaire Games

In the early 1900s, more complex types of solitaire appeared, including a whole family of “Spider-type” games. These were different — you didn’t just build foundations. Instead, you had to build entire sequences directly in the layout. The game Spider Solitaire, as we know it today, was first described in 1917 by card expert Ely Culbertson. It used two decks, ten columns, and a tough challenge: build complete King-to-Ace runs by suit.

Pyramid Solitaire, though it feels like a classic, came along later. While some sources suggest a vaguely similar game may have existed earlier, the modern version — where cards are arranged in a pyramid shape and removed in pairs adding to 13 — wasn’t documented until 1949, in The Complete Book of Solitaire and Patience Games by Albert H. Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith. So although Pyramid is beloved and feels timeless, it actually joined the family of solitaire games in the mid-20th century.

PC and Mobile Solitaire: How Technology Transformed the Game

For much of the 20th century, patience games remained a popular paper pastime — but mostly among enthusiasts. Everything changed with the rise of home computers. In the 1980s and ’90s, solitaire made the leap to digital. Developers realized these games were perfect for teaching people how to use a mouse — you click, drag, drop — so many versions appeared on early computers. In 1990, Microsoft included Klondike Solitaire in Windows 3.0, and it became a part of daily life for millions.

A few years later, in 1995, Microsoft bundled a version of FreeCell, a challenging solitaire game that was originally developed by Paul Alfille in the 1970s as a computer game (not a historical card game). Unlike most solitaires, nearly every FreeCell deal is solvable, which makes it a favorite for players who enjoy logic and planning. Then, in 1998, Spider Solitaire joined the lineup with Windows 98’s “Plus!” pack. It became even more popular with Windows XP in 2001, which bundled Spider alongside Klondike and FreeCell. Suddenly, people everywhere were playing Spider at home and at work. Its mix of logic and luck, combined with different difficulty levels (1, 2, or 4 suits), made Spider incredibly addicting. By the mid-2000s, it had become the most-played card game on Windows PCs — even more than Klondike!

Today, thanks to platforms like BVS Solitaire Collection, solitaire is more varied and customizable than ever — with hundreds of versions to explore, including classics like Klondike, Spider, Freecell, and yes, Pyramid. What began centuries ago as a quiet card pastime has become a digital favorite for millions.