Friday - by Friedemann Friese 4+

I play this digital version as well as the card alternative. This is a very challenging game that will take several attempts for the beginner to win. Once having won, there is a scoring system that sets the challenge of bettering your own best score. Initially a new player may have to make references to the rule book, but after a few plays the game will speed up and flow more naturally. There is just so much repeat play value in this fiendishly devised game that I don’t think other solitaire type games will get much of an airing. Once you begin to beat the game with a level of consistency ( Not yet in my case ) there is the opportunity to play against others on the periodic “ King of the Island” Tournament. I haven’t yet gained the level of competence to join in on this yet ( Coward )I believe that the combatants are paired in opposition and are dealt the same cards. Each player then plays on as if playing solitaire but they are positioned in the league in accordance with their scores. This digital version works without any glitches whatsoever and is a perfect representation of the original card game. Highly recommended .

I keep coming back to this one again and again. It's chock full of interesting decisions and myriad ways to mitigate bad luck. The rules are relatively simple for a game with such depth, but it's tough to win, with a steep how-to-play-well learning curve but all the more satisfying for that. There are enough options to tweak the difficulty, to allow even the best players to be challenged but also allowing a more casual and victory prone experience should you just want to relax.

It's a case study in modern game design, demonstrating how depth and complexity can be generated from individually simple interacting elements. Friedemann Frise is a genius.

If you love card games or want to take a step beyond all those patience variants, then it's a no brainier.

Buy this before you buy your lunch.

I gather things have been done since launch to help new players along (though the rules seem like they’re written for the physical version), but we’re still left with the occasional bug that won’t allow for pressing a button, and no BACK option if you’ve changed your mind about a move. Also, if you lose, the game crashes. This hasn’t appeared to cause lasting damage so far.
I’ll be sticking around to see if this gets tweaked, but caution to potential buyers; there’s fun to be had here but you might get your patience tested.