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Solo Card Games: Complete Ladder from Time-Killers to Deep Strategy

Dozens exist. Here's a ladder from casual time-killer to deep strategy:

🎯 Classic Solitaires (Patience) — Standard Deck

Game	Difficulty	Time	Key Mechanic	Win %
Klondike (Classic Solitaire)	Low	5-10 min	Build down alternating colors → foundations	~80% (with undo)
Spider (1/2/4 Suit)	Med-High	10-30 min	Build same-suit sequences in tableau → remove	4-suit: ~30%
FreeCell	Med	5-15 min	All cards visible. 4 free cells. Nearly 100% winnable.	>99.9%
Pyramid	Low-Med	3-5 min	Pair uncovered cards summing to 13	~5-15%
Golf	Low	2-4 min	Play +/-1 rank on foundation. Fast.	~90% (Easy)
Yukon	Med	10 min	Like Klondike but move groups regardless of sequence	~80%
Canfield (Demon)	High	10-20 min	Reserve pile, build foundations up by suit. Casino origin.	~3-5%
Baker's Dozen	Med	10 min	All cards dealt face-up in 13 columns. Build down by suit.	~60%
Accordion	Med	5 min	Compress entire deck to one pile by matching suit/rank neighbors.	Low

Friday (Friedemann Friese): Deckbuilding survival. Robinson Crusoe theme. Best pure solo deckbuilder.
Palm Island: 17 cards, no table needed. Rotate/flip cards to upgrade resources. Pocket-sized.
Hostage Negotiator: Deckbuilder + dice. Talk down hostage-taker. Tense, thematic.
Mint Works / Mint Delivery: Worker placement in a mint tin. 15-30 min.
Sprawlopolis: 18 cards. Co-op city builder. Solo = beat target score.
Onirim (Shadi Torbey): Dream labyrinth. Unlock doors before deck runs out. Expansions add modes.
Maquis: WWII resistance. Worker placement on tiny grid. 20 min. High tension.
Under Falling Skies: Space Invaders + dice placement. Campaign mode.

Slay the Spire: Roguelike deckbuilder. Genre-defining. PC/Mobile/Switch.
Monster Train: Tower defense + deckbuilder. Hell on train.
Inscryption: Deckbuilder + escape room + meta-narrative. Play blind.
Card Crawl / Card Thief / Miracle Merchant: Tinytouchtales. Micro-solitaire. Mobile.

5 min, no think: Golf, Pyramid, Card Crawl.
15 min, thinky: FreeCell, Spider 2-suit, Palm Island, Onirim.
1 hr, deep: Friday, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Canfield.
Campaign/Progression: Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Under Falling Skies, Hostage Negotiator.
Physical cards only: Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Accordion, Canfield, Baker's Dozen, Yukon.

Start with FreeCell (built into Windows) or Good Sudoku app → then Friday (physical) or Slay the Spire (digital).

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