‘Benefits of Computer Gaming’

Whether you are still in school, a student, busy parent, working full time, or a retiree, chances are you might have indulged in an online puzzle or shuffled a deck of cards or two now and again. In the past, computer gaming might have been considered the territory of the stereotypical gamer teenager. However, things have changed in recent years. Studies show that more people of retirement age, for example, are playing online than ever before. Playing games is one of the most common ways to relax, unwind and spend downtime – but did you know studies show there are massive cognitive benefits to this popular pastime?

Sudoku, for example, is an activity that has surged in demand over the past decade. While playing Sudoku cannot promise to make you smarter or the next Albert Einstein, it does promote increased focus and concentration. Both of which are important for healthy brain function.

A puzzle game that requires a logical approach, Sudoku can also help you practice critical thinking and decision-making. Playing is also relaxing - after all, there is a reason people have been enjoying this particular game for over forty years. Solving complex challenges - like mathematical problems, visual challenges, or word scrambles - encourages the brain to improve pattern recognition. When we do these activities, we help create structures and systems, something that reduces stress, anxiety and encourages relaxation. Think of it as creating order out of chaos!

Of course, when it comes to keeping our brains active, it is also vital to help promote healthy memory function. Plenty of games rely on memorizing or seeking out images or sequences such as match puzzles and Match 3. Alternatively, if you prefer something that offers the nostalgia of a traditional classic, tile-matching game Mahjong offers similar benefits.

Other pastimes like card games Solitaire, Hearts, and FreeCell are also particularly beneficial for mental wellbeing. Everyone loves the challenge of accomplishing a goal or beating the odds. There is nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction when you score a personal best or find the answer to a previously unsolved problem. Completing puzzles and games releases dopamine – a neurotransmitter that stimulates the mood and helps you feel happier and more relaxed.

Not only this but, because these games can be played alone and at any time, engaging in them actively promotes routine. Beginning your day with half an hour of puzzling after breakfast or while you enjoy your coffee can be a great way to kick-start any morning.

Why not try out one of TreeCardGames' many packages and see if you can feel the difference? Enjoyable, easy-to-learn, and with a great range of choices, meaning you can try them all to find your new favorite.

Good for your mind, good for your mood, and just plain good fun - what could be better?

 

Klondike: A Brief History of the Most Famous Solitaire Card Game

 

You may know it by another name, but chances are, if you have ever played a Solitaire card game, then the version you have been playing is the one popularly known as Klondike. The history of this game is one steeped in mystery – with several sources claiming it originates in 17th century France. Meanwhile, other stories suggest the name Klondike comes from Canada and that the game became highly in demand in the 19th century during the gold rush. However the game started, it is still just as popular today as ever. Below, we take a look at some of the fascinating theories relating to the history of this long-running game - and who might have started it.

Vive La Revolution!

 

It may not have been the most glamorous of places to spend your time, but the infamous Bastille prison in Paris is supposed by some to be the original home of Klondike. Some suspect that disgraced French nobles created the game after being imprisoned by King Louis XIV, as a way to while away their long lonely sentences in isolation.

 

The French Theory Continues

 

While it seems highly unlikely the claim is accurate, it has been suggested by some that it might have been another French man who was responsible for Klondike's invention. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte has previously been cited as the original inventor of the card game. There are theories that he created a Solitaire card game while exiled on the island of St. Helena. There are several variants named after both him and the island itself. However, historians refute the suggestion that Napoleon started the game himself. Instead, it seems that he simply enjoyed playing card games, not inventing them!

 

 

The Power of the Cards

 

Another story is that there may be a link between Klondike and cards used for divination and fortune-telling. While we are not sure if this is true, it certainly would make playing the game spookier. In reality, it is probably likely this theory relates to the rise in requests for tarot card readings in the 18th century. This in turn, helped boost the popularity of playing card games in general.

 

A Little Patience

 

In the UK, Klondike is sometimes also called Patience. Eagle-eyed literary fans might notice that in Charles Dickens's famous novel Great Expectations, released in 1864, one of the characters is playing the game when the reader first meets them. Other names the game goes by include Fascination, American Patience and Triangle.

 

A Modern Era

 

Most people will be familiar with the digital version of Klondike, thanks to Microsoft incorporating the game into their Windows 3.0 operating system. Many people still use the game as a way of improving their computer skills while having fun. It remains the most widely used digital card game globally. 

 

If you haven't played it yet, now is a great time to give it a try. Klondike has been around for a long time, and we’re happy to say it isn’t going anywhere. You can find out more about Klondike and our many Solitaire card games available by taking a look at our selection of games and downloading them for yourself.

TreeCardGames - News and more

What has been going on lately? A lot, in fact! 😁

👉 A Word Search update was released, with 5 new categories: Gardening, Legendary Creatures, Onomatopoeia Words, Shoes and Native American Tribes in the United States.

Play Word Search now by clicking here!
Get Word Search from the Microsoft Store here!

👉SolSuite 2021 21.0 was released! and it included a variation of a classic game: Canfield Two Suits

This version can be downloaded here

👉 SolSuite 2021 21.1 was released with two more game to make a whooping total of 756 games!

You can get this version here

👉 Spades Premium, Spades - Online and Spades Free ! have been updated, and now include:

- New "TreeCardGames Player Image Maker"
- New "Total bags and Total points" display
- Includes the new "Themes" feature. A theme is a set of graphic elements, including a background, a card set and a card back.
- Improved the "Nil" and "Blind Nil" bidding on the "Expert" game level. Your Spades game will be even more challenging and fun!
- 3 new languages: हिंदी, Polski, Português

👉 In Klondike Solitaire Collection Free, Spider Solitaire Collection Free, FreeCell Collection Free and Solitaire Collection Free, a new great "Theme" has been added:  "Spring Joy"!

👉 The new MahJong Suite 2021 version arrived, with 5 new layouts and 2 Themes! 

👉 Last but not least, a new Hearts release is available! And includes:

- New Player Images
- New Player Image Maker
- "Old Moon" and "New Moon" scoring for Shooting the Moon
- Allow to end the trick if all points have been scored
- Play sound when the first card of Hearts is played
- Play sound when the Queen of Spades is played
Play Hearts now by clicking here!

Learn how to play Canfield Two Suits with the latest SolSuite 2021 release!

The latest SolSuite 2021 version 21.0 has just been released!

And includes a variation of the famous "Canfield Solitaire". "Canfield Two Suits". This variation of Canfield is played in the same way as the parent game but with all the cards of Two Suits only. This variation is much easier to win.

Canfield is also known as Demon, Devil's Own, Fascination, Pounce, Racing Demon, Thirteen

and it's said that it was was invented in the 1890s by Richard A. Canfield, an American gambler and a casino owner in upstate New York, who created this game to play in casino.

How is Canfield Two Suits played?

To win this game, you have to move all the cards to the foundations.

The base card (the first card dealt) for this game will vary. 

Foundations (Four piles)

👉Build up in suit from the base card to the rank just below the base card, until each pile contains thirteen cards. For example, a 5♥ can be played on a 4♥. 

👉Ranking of cards is continuous: build Ace after King when necessary. 

👉Autoplay is available.

Tableau (Four columns, initially with one card each)

👉 Build down in alternating colors. For example, a 10♠ can be played on a Jack♥♦. 

👉Ranking of cards is continuous: build King after Ace when necessary. 

👉The top card of each column is available for play to the foundations or to another tableau column. 

👉An entire packed sequence may be moved to another tableau column. Parts of a sequence may not be moved. 

👉Spaces are automatically filled with the top card of the reserve. After the reserve is exhausted, spaces may be filled from the waste: never from the tableau. 

Reserve (One pile of thirteen cards)

👉The top card is always available for play to the foundations or the tableau.

Stock

👉Click once on the stock to deal a packet of three cards at a time to the waste. 

👉Unlimited redeals are permitted until the game is blocked or won. 

Waste (One pile)

👉The top card is always available for play to the foundations or the tableau. 

Here are some hints!

👉Move cards to create spaces on the tableau. 

👉Avoid moving too many cards to the foundations. 

👉Be sure that you have made all possible moves before dealing cards from the stock.

Get SolSuite 2021 and enjoy Canfield Two Suits!

"Capuchin" is a classic game added to your favorite Solitaire Games Suite!

This month we have added to SolSuite Solitaire an old classic solitaire game, of British origin, described in the book, Games of Patience by Tarbart, published in 1905.

The purpose of this game is to move all the cards to the Foundations, by building up regardless of suit from the base card to the rank just below the corresponding indicator card, until each pile contains twelve cards.

On the middle of the layout, you will see eight cards, These are the "Indicator" cards and take no active part in the game.

The third row, at the bottom, is the Tableau which consists of 8 piles with 12 cards each. The top card of each pile can be played to the Foundations only.

When there are no more moves, click on the "Redeal" button.

The cards in the first Tableau pile are dealt, one by one, to each of the other Tableau piles in succession. 

If the play is blocked again, the cards in the second Tableau pile are dealt, one by one, to the remaining Tableau piles, then the third, and so on.

💥Game time: Medium; 5-10 minutes 

💥Difficulty level: Easy 

💥Skill level: Moderate 

💥Chance of winning: Low; about 1 in 20; 5% 

Get the latest version of SolSuite Solitaire!

The new SolSuite 20.10 includes two original solitaire card games!

2 more new games added to your favorite Solitaire Games Suite!

Autumn Solitaire is Simple solitaires type played with 2 decks (104 cards).

How to play:
- At the beginning of the game, thirteen cards - from a 7 to a 6 (regardless of suit) are dealt to the thirteen piles to become the foundations.

Foundations
💥 Build up regardless of suit from the base card, until each pile contains eight cards.
💥 The game is won when the top cards of the foundation piles form a sequence, regardless of suit, from Ace to King. 
💥 Ranking of cards is continuous: build Aces after Kings when necessary. 

Stock
💥 Turn up one card at a time from the stock. 
💥 One redeal is permitted (two deals in all). 

Reserve
💥 One reserve pile may be formed. 
💥 These cards can played to the foundations at any time. 

Waste (One pile)
💥 The top card is always available for play to the foundations.

Prisoners Two Decks is a Adding solitaires type; played with 2 decks (104 cards).

How to play:

💥 Deal cards in a row from left to right by clicking on the stock. 
💥 Discard any group of cards consisting of: 
💥 Any combination (doublets, triplets, quadruplets, etc.) of adjacent and just dealt cards which total value is equal to 11, 12 or 13. 
💥 One face card (Jack, Queen or King) which corresponds to the total of the combination. 
For example, valid groups are:
9 + 2 [which equals to 11] + Jack
4 + 6 + 2 [which equals to 12] + Queen
7 + 4 + Ace + Ace [which equals to 13] + King 
💥 To win the game, you must discard all the face cards (free the "Prisoners" from jail) before the stock is exhausted. 
💥 There is no redeal. 

Stock
💥 The game starts at −104 points. 
💥 20 points are awarded for each freed "Prisoner". 
💥 The winning score to obtain is 376 points.

Get the latest SolSuite version here:

https://www.solsuite.com/whatsnew.htm

How to play Gaps (Addiction) Solitaire with SolSuite 2020!

Gaps Solitaire is a popular solitaire card game also know as Addiction, Blue Moon, Holes, La Rochelle, Spaces, Vacancies and is included in SolSuite Solitaire

It's a solitaire game American origin and it is said that Gaps was a favorite game of Napoleon.

The French call this solitaire "L'Imperiale".

What is the object of game? 🎯

Create four suit sequences of twelve cards each, from Two to King.

What are the rules? 

Set-Up: The entire stock is dealt in four rows of thirteen cards each. Then the four Aces are removed, creating four gaps in the layout.

Tableau (Four rows of twelve cards each)

👉 A gap (four in all) must be filled with the card that is the next highest in rank and of the same suit as the card to the left of the gap. For example, if a gap opens up to the right of the 10♥, it must be filled with the Jack♥. The gap and the Jack♥ will exchange places. 

👉 A gap in the first space of a row may be filled with any Two. The player decides which row he will allocate to each suit. 

👉 Because a King is the highest–ranking card, a gap after a King cannot be filled and action is blocked.

Stock

👉 After all possible plays have been made and the Kings block any action, click the Redeal button. 

👉 Redeals are performed as follows: 

👉 Any Two and the suit sequences starting with them are left in place. 

👉 All other cards that are out of sequence are removed, shuffled and then dealt to complete the rows. 

👉 A gap is left to the immediate right of the cards that are in suit sequence in each row. If the only card in place is a Two, the gap will be to the right of it. 

👉 If there is no Two in a row, a gap is left in the first place of the row, so that a Two can be moved there. 

👉 Two redeals are permitted (three deals in all).

Strategy and Tactics

💡 Don't randomly start moving the cards. Study the tableau. 

💡 Try to open a gap at the extreme left of a row or to the right of a blocked card. 

💡 Move Kings away from the gaps to avoid blocking the game.

Simple Simon: part of the Spider Solitaire family of card games!

A new game has been added to Solitaire Collection Free, the 100% free collection that includes 9 challenging Solitaire games.

Simple Simon is a game of American origin and it's part of the Spider Solitaire🕷family of card games.

To win this game, you have to remove all the cards from the Tableau to the Foundations, and this is obtained by building descending suit sequences from King to Ace. 

Being similar to Spider, you will be able to build down regardless on suit on the Tableau piles:

Build down, regardless of suit. For example, a 3 ♥ can be played on a 4 ♠♥♣♦. 

But to move a card sequence from on the pile to another, the sequence must be build down in suit:

Cards of the same suit and in a descending sequence may be moved as a unit

As soon as a suite is completed, the cards will be automatically removed from the tableau.

Game hint 💡
Preferably, build on the tableau in a descending suit sequence as opposed to a descending non–suit sequence.

Get Solitaire Collection Free👈 from the Microsoft Store and start enjoying this new game today! 😎

"Words from Letters" new game!

Play "Words from Letters": a beautiful word game whose object is to find as many words as you can by rearranging the six given letters!

Just hit "Play" and select your game level: Easy, Medium or Hard.
This is a great game for kids and adults, and it helps improving your language skills.
How?
If you have still some words to fill out, clicking on the "Hints" button will highlight the first available letter you can use. Then you have 5 seconds to find the following letter before you can use the "Hints" button again.

Words from Letters is:

- 100% FREE!

- Three different tiles to choose from

- "Hint" button

- Keep track of your game statistics with the Weekly Chart

- No download or registration required

- Just click here and start having fun!