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Patience vs. Solitaire: Clearing Up the Terminology

The Short Distinction

Patience is the umbrella term for any single-player card game (UK/Commonwealth usage). Solitaire is the North American term for the same category—and specifically refers to Klondike (the classic 7-column tableau game) when used without qualification.

Precise Definitions

Term	Region	Scope	Example
Patience	UK, AU, NZ, CA, SA, EU	All 1-player card games	Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, Clock, Accordion
Solitaire	US, CA (often), PH	All 1-player card games (broad) OR specifically Klondike (narrow)	"Let's play Solitaire" → usually means Klondike
Klondike	Global (technical)	The specific 7-column, draw-1/3, build-foundations game	Windows Solitaire (1990–2012)

Venn Diagram Logic

All Klondike games are Solitaire games.
All Solitaire games (broad sense) are Patience games.
Therefore: Klondike ⊂ Solitaire ⊂ Patience.
But: Patience ≠ Klondike (many Patience games aren't Klondike).

Why the Confusion Persists

Microsoft bundled Klondike as "Solitaire" in Windows 3.0 (1990) → billions learned "Solitaire = that specific game."
Mobile apps list "Solitaire" as a category containing 50+ games (Spider, FreeCell, TriPeaks, Pyramid...).
UK players say "I'm playing Patience" for any solo card game; US players say "I'm playing Solitaire" for the same.

Major Patience Families (Beyond Klondike)

Family	Key Mechanic	Famous Examples
Builder	Build foundations A→K by suit	Klondike, Canfield, Beleaguered Castle
Packer	Pack sequences in tableau (K→A)	Spider, Scorpion, Mrs. Mop
Non-Builder	Pairing, adding, matching	Pyramid, Golf, Monte Carlo, Accordion
Reserve	Use reserve cells/stacks	FreeCell, Eight Off, Baker's Game

Practical Takeaway

If a British friend says "Patience," they mean any solo card game.
If an American says "Solitaire" without qualification, they likely mean Klondike.
In game design/academic contexts: use Patience for the category, Klondike for the specific game.

So the original statement—"Patience is also known as Solitaire"—is regionally true but technically imprecise. Patience is the genus; Solitaire (Klondike) is one famous species.

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