Substantively reviewed August 14, 2026 · Editorial policy · Request a correction
Solitaire is the broad family, Patience is a regional name for many one-player card games, and Klondike is one specific member of that family. In North American usage, “Solitaire” often means Klondike because the computer version became so familiar. Historically, however, neither Solitaire nor Patience identifies one fixed ruleset.
The surviving record points to German or Scandinavian roots in the late eighteenth century, not a proven invention by Napoleon or a single named designer. Card-game historian David Parlett identifies a 1783 German reference; the Pagat history of card Solitaire describes a 1797 rules text related to the game later called Grandfather’s Patience. Those are different milestones, not necessarily a contradiction.
Solitaire, Patience, and Klondike are not synonyms in every context
| Term | Most useful meaning | Common source of confusion |
|---|---|---|
| Solitaire | A broad family of games or puzzles for one player; in card-game context, often one-player card games | In North America it is also used informally for Klondike |
| Patience | The traditional British and European term for many one-player card games | The French word does not prove a French origin |
| Klondike | A specific one-deck sorting game with seven tableau columns and four suit foundations | Software often labels it simply “Solitaire” |
Pagat notes that Patience remains standard in Britain and several other countries, while Solitaire became the American term and spread more widely with the success of computer Klondike. When explaining rules, the safest practice is to name the variant and stock rule rather than rely on “regular Solitaire.”
What the earliest records show
1783: an early German reference
On his history of Patience, David Parlett says the earliest reference known to him occurs in the 1783 edition of Das neue Königliche L’Hombre-Spiel, using both “Patience” and “Cabale.” He argues that the background is more probably German or Scandinavian than French.
1797–1798: rules and competitive framing
Pagat identifies a 1797 rules set in Das Neue Königliche L’Hombre as essentially equivalent to what is now known as Grandfather Solitaire, with two players taking turns while others could bet on the result. Parlett separately describes a 1798 almanac in which two players each played a game of Patience in turn.
The date difference is resolved by asking what each source is dating: an early reference, a particular edition containing rules, or a later description of the play format. The evidence does not support compressing them into one exact “invention date.”
1808–1809: Scandinavian and Russian-context references
Parlett records references in the journal of a Swedish woman living in Russia and a Swedish poem published in 1809. He also explains why it is sometimes unclear whether early Patience was played entirely alone, cooperatively, or as alternating individual attempts.
Why a French name does not establish a French birthplace
“Patience” is French, but French terminology was fashionable in northern European games. Pagat explicitly warns that the name does not show that the games originated in France; its history page places the earliest references in Germany and Scandinavia and says French appearances came later.
The same evidence makes the familiar Napoleon story unreliable. Pagat characterizes legends that Napoleon played these games as apocryphal. A colorful attribution is not a substitute for a dated rulebook, diary, or contemporary account.
How the family of games developed
By the late nineteenth century, publishers were collecting many one-player card games. The family was never limited to one objective. Pagat groups common designs into sorting games such as Klondike, elimination games such as Pyramid, piling games such as Accordion, and pattern-scoring games such as Poker Square.
Parlett describes the typical sorting structure: a shuffled pack is reorganized into suit sequences, often through an intermediate tableau. But he also emphasizes that card Patience is open-ended because a shuffle creates a different problem each time. This separates it from a fixed puzzle with one memorized solution.
Where Klondike fits
Klondike is a one-deck sorting game. The familiar layout deals 28 cards into seven tableau piles, exposes each pile’s top card, and leaves the rest as stock. The objective is to build four foundations by suit from ace through king. These are the defining details in the current Bicycle Klondike rules.
Because computer versions often displayed the title “Solitaire” while implementing Klondike, many users learned the family name as if it were the variant name. That usage is understandable, but it can hide important differences such as Draw 1 versus Draw 3 and redeal limits.
From physical cards to computers and phones
Pagat attributes the worldwide spread of the American term Solitaire in part to the success of the Klondike program included with Windows from the 1990s. Digital versions remove the manual work of shuffling and laying out cards and make it easier to implement undo, hints, statistics, multiple variants, and saved deals.
Digitization did not create one universal ruleset. A modern browser or app can change stock passes, scoring, automation, suit modes, or what counts as a completed game. The product label and help screen remain part of the rules evidence.
A careful historical timeline
- 1783: earliest reference known to Parlett in a German anthology.
- 1797: an early rules text identified by Pagat, related to Grandfather Solitaire.
- 1798: a German almanac describes alternating Patience play with betting.
- 1808–1809: Swedish-language diary and literary references place Patience in northern/eastern European contexts.
- Late nineteenth century: substantial collections establish Patience/Solitaire as a broad published family.
- 1990s onward: computer Klondike helps spread “Solitaire” as the familiar global label.
This timeline records evidence milestones, not a claim that the game was invented in a single year.
Which name should you use?
- Use Solitaire or Patience for the family, while recognizing regional preference.
- Use Klondike when you mean the seven-column, foundation-building game.
- Add Draw 1 or Draw 3 and the redeal rule when those details matter.
- Name Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, Accordion, and other variants rather than calling them alternative Klondike layouts.
For rules, continue to How to Play Klondike Solitaire. To see how the main objectives differ, use the Solitaire variant comparison. For direct external game routes, use the verified browser entrance directory.
Related reading
Source and correction note: This article was substantively updated August 13, 2026 using the cited histories and current rules pages. It does not claim a single inventor or exact invention date where the record does not support one. Jack is the accountable editor. Send corrections or additional primary-source references to blog@solitairegoogle.com; see the editorial policy.