Regency Solitaire is like if a Jane Eyre-inspired visual novel met Solitaire, but somehow managed to be more entertaining, elegant, and engaging than any Solitaire game you’ve ever played. Admittedly, that’s not a high bar to leap, but Grey Alien Games does it in style with Regency Solitaire, bringing the drama, glamor, and romance of the early 1800s to a charming card game. Available now for PC and Mac, Regency Solitaire is fun and addictive, likely to keep you up all night chasing that perfect score.
Regency Solitaire, unlike most Solitaire games, boasts a pretty interesting story. You play as Bella, trapped as a young woman with no dowry thanks to her brother’s gambling debt. As his debts pile up, Bella tries to pull herself out from under his shadow, visiting different areas of London and trying to find the man of her dreams without settling for the creepy moneylender next door, Mr. Bleakley.
Though its story sometimes borders on cliche, Regency Solitaire is still charming.
It may not be the most moving or original story in gaming, but Regency Solitaire‘s story does provide an interesting impetus that most Solitaire games don’t. When you finish a hand, it’s not just to attempt another—you’re advancing a story, finding objects that help Bella out, and collecting money to furnish your home. It’s not a huge shift away from standard Solitaire games, but Regency Solitaire does make an effort to set itself apart from others and, in that regard, it succeeds. While Freecell, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, and any number of other card games might blur together, Regency Solitaire sticks out in both story and style, making it more memorable than most computer card games of its style.
Special abilities (in the lower left corner) and wildcards (in the lower right corner) give the player plenty of opportunities to change the course of the game.
Solitaire games are frequently a way to pass an idle ten minutes or so, but that’s not true of Regency Solitaire. Featuring gameplay tricks pulled from Solitaire variants like Golf and 13 as well as a slew of power-ups and challenges to keep it fresh, it’s easy to end up playing this game for hours at a time rather than in quick bursts.
The little touches, such as the game’s power-ups, really make it something special. By purchasing accoutrements for Bella’s ballroom, you gain additional abilities, such as destroying cards or reshuffling the deck. You can also pick up wildcards and jokers throughout the game, allowing you to play greater combos and earn more points and money.
Regency Solitaire rarely grows stale, as the play area is constantly changing, adding complications like locked stacks and bows that mean a card must be played twice before it drops off the screen. With a new shuffled deck in every attempt, that means you’re experiencing new and different challenges each time you play.
The layering of cards and changing layouts make Regency Solitaire a significant challenge, even for a seasoned Solitaire pro.
People tend to conflate casual games with easy ones, which is decidedly not the case with Regency Solitaire. It’s easy to play, but tough to master—with two difficulty settings (the easier of which is plenty challenging on its own), numerous in-game challenges, and perfect game scores to rack up, it’s anything but simple.
Your standard Solitaire game typically features a green background with some boring-looking card designs. In Regency Solitaire, the backgrounds are lush, painted scenes straight out of Regency England, including ballrooms, beautiful scenery, and cityscapes. The cards themselves are decorated with portraits of the game’s characters, though this can be changed to a standard deck style if the player finds it confusing or distracting.
Regency Solitaire‘s beautiful backgrounds are a far cry from the simulated green felt of most Solitaire games.
The music is a nice touch, too—it’s soothing, classical fare that adds to the ambience without being distracting. You can easily mute the sound if it’s not to your taste, but it does add an extra dimension to the game, drawing you further into the addictive world of Regency Solitaire.
Solitaire is hardly new, but Regency Solitaire, with its attention to detail in story, gameplay, and artistry, stands as an example of how a standard game can be reinvented with creativity. The gameplay is smooth and simple to play, with a difficulty curve to challenge everyone from casual players to hardcore perfectionists, and the romantic story offers additional appeal for people who like a little drama in their game. Overall, Regency Solitaire is an addictive, entertaining game that proves Solitaire doesn’t have to be boring, and can be as richly detailed and inventive as any other game.
Regency Solitaire is available now for PC through Steam, and PC and Mac through the developer’s website.
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