Video games have been included in versions of theMicrosoft Windows line ofoperating systems, starting fromWindows 1.0, all published byMicrosoft. Some games that have appeared inMicrosoft Entertainment Pack andMicrosoft Plus! have been included in subsequent versions of Windows as well.Microsoft Solitaire has been included in every version of Windows sinceWindows 3.0, exceptWindows 8 and8.1. The latest version of Windows,Windows 11, includesMicrosoft Solitaire Collection andSurf.
Microsoft planned to include games when developingWindows 1.0 in 1983–1984. Pre-release versions of Windows 1.0 initially included another game,Puzzle, but it was scrapped in favor ofReversi, based on theboard game of the same name.[1]Reversi was included in Windows versions up toWindows 3.1.Solitaire was developed in 1988 by theintern Wes Cherry.[2][3][4] The card deck itself was designed bySusan Kare, who was known for her work on icon designs for the originalMacintosh.[5]
Microsoft intendedSolitaire to "soothe people intimidated by the operating system," and at a time when many users were still unfamiliar withgraphical user interfaces, it proved useful in familiarizing them with the use of amouse, such as thedrag-and-drop technique required for moving cards.[6] According to Microsofttelemetry,Solitaire was among the three most-used Windows programs andFreeCell was seventh, ahead of productivity-based applications such asMicrosoft Word andExcel.[7][7] Lost business productivity by employees playingSolitaire became a common concern since the game was included in Windows by default.[8]
FreeCell was introduced as a bundled game in Windows NT 3.1. The game was available for Windows 3.1, as it was included in installations ofWin32s for the purposes of verifying that the 32-bitthunking layer was installed correctly.[9]
The Microsoft Hearts Network was included withWindows for Workgroups 3.1, as a showcase ofNetDDE technology by enabling multiple players to play simultaneously across acomputer network.[10] This technology would lead to the inclusion of various online multiplayer titles under theInternet brand, which were included inWindows Me,XP and7, alongside otheronline multiplayer-based titles.[11] Support forInternet games for Windows Me and XP ended on July 31, 2019, and for Windows 7 on January 22, 2020.[11]3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet is a version of the "Space Cadet"pinball table from the 1995 video gameFull Tilt! Pinball.[12]
InMinesweeper forWindows Vista and 7, the game comes with an alternate "Flower Garden" style, alongside the default "Minesweeper" style.[13] This is due to controversy over the originalland mine theme of the game being potentially insensitive, and the "Flower Garden" style was used as the default theme in "sensitive areas".[14]
Several third party games, such asCandy Crush Saga andDisney Magic Kingdoms, have been included as advertisements on theStart menu inWindows 10, and may also be automatically installed by the operating system.[15][16] Windows 11 includes theXbox app, which allows users to access thePC Game Pass video gamesubscription service.[17][18] Additionally, versions of theMicrosoft Edge browser from 2020 onwards (bundled with Windows 10 and 11) include theSurf game.[19]
Starting from 2012 onwards, with the release ofWindows 8, updated versions of previously bundled games are now under the brandMicrosoft Casual Games, in addition to several brand new games. With the exception ofSolitaire Collection being included in Windows 10 and11, these games are not included with Windows, and are instead available as ad-supported freedownloads inMicrosoft Store.[20][21]
Premium monthly and annual subscriptions are available, which removes advertisements and offers several gameplay benefits, a move that has been criticized by reviewers as a way to "nickel and dime" users, since previous versions ofSolitaire and previously bundled games did not include any advertisements or paid subscriptions.[22][23] There are five Windows games under the Microsoft Casual Games banner:[24]
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| 1.0 | 2.0 and2.1 | 3.0 | 3.1[25] | NT 3.1,NT 3.5 andNT 3.51 | 95 | NT 4.0 | 98 | 2000 | Me | XP | Vista[26][27] | 7[28] | 8 and8.1 | 10[20] | 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reversi |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Solitaire | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | [a] | [a] | |
| Minesweeper | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||
| Hearts | — |  [b] | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||
| FreeCell | — | | | | | | | | | | | [a] | [a] | |||
| Hover! | — | [c] | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet | — | | | | | | | | | | | |||||
| Internet Backgammon | — | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| Internet Checkers | — | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| Internet Hearts | — | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| Internet Reversi | — | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| Internet Spades | — | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| Spider Solitaire | — | | | | | | [a] | [a] | ||||||||
| Inkball | — | [d] | [e] | | | | | |||||||||
| Purble Place | — | | | | | | ||||||||||
| Mahjong Titans | — | [e] | [f] | | | | ||||||||||
| Chess Titans | — | [e] | [f] | | | | ||||||||||
| Tinker | — | [g] | | | | | ||||||||||
| Hold 'Em | — | [g] | | | | | ||||||||||
| Solitaire Collection | — | | | |||||||||||||
| Surf | — | [h] | [i] | |||||||||||||
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