Solitaired.com Review

I still remember the first time I played Mahjong. Not the real Mahjong, but the computerized Windows 95 version that had you match tiles. I had a bit of a nostalgic flashback and wanted to see if I could find it again. There were, of course, a ton of different websites offering to download it for free, but I wasn’t in the trusting mood. 

That’s when I found it, and quite a few other classic games.

Today we’re reviewing Solitaired.com, a site that looks as if it’s been pulled straight out of my childhood. In my nostalgic state, I looked to play three of my favorites, so for this review, I’ll be focusing on three of the many games Solitaired.com has to offer. 

Hearts

Hearts and Yahtzee have a special place in my heart. I used to play them quite often in the US Navy. There’s something about playing the old-school games on a warship that you just can’t beat. 

So the question is, “Does the digital experience live up to my memories?”

Solitaired’s interface was easy to get into. The way you pass the cards is all scripted and done automatically, making it super easy for me to jump into the game. I actually forgot a few of the rules, and the rules section available when you scroll down was very well written. The major points were all concise and it was easy to brush up on the rules. 

I was a little concerned at first when I couldn’t play against other players live, but then I remembered each game of Hearts goes up to 100 points, and that could take quite a while to actually finish. My attention span isn’t as good as it used to be, though, and the AI was actually quite decent. 

Yahtzee

Yahtzee was another game we still play to this day. It’s the ultimate travel game that can be played with any handful of 6-sided dice. 

Solitaired’s version of Yahtzee offers both online play with real players and against one of the cutest little AI’s named Freda. 

I decided to test my might against Freda before trying out a human opponent. I didn’t get a Yahtzee but I did end with a respectable score in the 170s. I felt a little cocky afterward and tried out a human opponent. On turn 2, they got a Yahtzee and it only went downhill from there for me. 

Solitaired’s layout for Yahtzee worked well. It’s a no-frills setup that is a solid rendition of Yahtzee. The only downside I could possibly come up with is the sound. There really isn’t any, but the rolling animation is great, and I’m a big fan of Freda. 

Mahjong

Now, onto the focus of my nostalgic quest. My dad taught me to play this game for the first time during Take your Kids to Work Day. We sat playing for hours, and this was the reason why I came to the site in the first place, and I wanted to know “Did it live up to my nostalgic hype?”. 

Mahjong uses the standard Mahjong tiles, but the computer version is basically a matching game. Players pick two of the same tile types and remove them. The catch is that they can’t be under another tile and have to be unlocked, by having no tiles either to the left or the right. 

The tile images looked great, but it did take me a minute to remember all the different types of tiles. A nice feature that I didn’t remember having in my childhood was the mouseover. When I hovered the cursor over a tile, it gave me the name of the tile, which helped quite a bit. My eyesight isn’t quite as good as it was when I was younger. 

I had a blast playing and unfortunately got into a bit of trouble because I spent more time playing than actually doing my work. 

Pros

• Free
• Aesthetically Pleasing
• Fun Leaderboards and Rewards
• Freda

Having the entire library of games offered for free is always a big checkmark in the pros column. 

I was really enjoying the aesthetic. The green background everywhere makes everything feel old school and reminds me of the green felt gaming tables.

I was actually really impressed with all the stats and leaderboards Solitaired.com had on offer. It was really fun seeing all the stats and how I ranked. 

Finally, I adore the Yahtzee playing Freda. 

Cons

• Sounds

The only con I gripe about is the sound. The games themselves were super fun and a few of the games had the retro sound bites I was craving but for the most part, Solitaired is a silent site. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it would have been nice to have the option. 

So the final question, “Did Solitaired’s games live up to my nostalgic memory?”.

Yes, yes they did. 

I really enjoyed taking a break and playing some of my favorite classics. I even played a round of Solitaire while I was checking out the site and it was a blast from the past. The layout looks fantastic, and when I didn’t remember the rules, there was always a helpful guide at the bottom of the page along with a little blurb about history. 

Even more fun, was the fact that some of the games’ scores were tracked and they gave out little trophies and different rankings. 

I was very impressed with Solitaired.com as site, and I’ll definitely be back for more, even if it’s only to play a round of Yahtzee with Freda.

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