Microsoft releases Solitaire for iOS and Android

Back in the early days of Windows, the biggest time-waster wasn’t Facebook or Reddit; it was Solitaire, the infuriatingly simple card game that requires players to use up all one’s cards by forming a particular arrangement.

Now, the modern Solitaire Collection is available outside of Windows for the first time. Microsoft has released Solitaire for iOS and Android, giving millions of people something to do when sitting around the dinner table with family.

Be honest: You spent hours playing Solitaire as a kid when you were really supposed to be writing an essay for class. I know I did. The Solitaire Collection includes Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, and Tripeaks game types. There’s even Xbox Live integration so you can compete with friends.

KLONDIKE Timeless & Classic Solitaire. Clear all the cards from the table using one or three-card draw. Also try out Traditional or Vegas scoring!

SPIDER Eight columns of cards await you. Clear them all with fewest moves possible. Play single suit or challenge yourself with four suits!

FREECELL Be strategic and use the four extra cells to move cards around and try to clear all cards from the table. FreeCell rewards players who think several moves ahead.

TRIPEAKS Select cards in a sequence, earn combo points, and clear as many boards as you can before you run out of deals!

PYRAMID Combine two cards that add up to 13 to remove them from the board. Challenge yourself to reach the top of the Pyramid and clear as many boards as you can!

The best time-waster of them all

You can download Microsoft’s Solitaire for iOS and Android now, but hurry, because the premium version will only be free until Dec. 31.