How to play Harp
The "Big Harp": a two-deck Klondike spread across ten columns. Plenty of room and 104 cards to organize.
History & origin of Harp
Patience games (called “solitaire” in the United States and “patience” in Europe) appeared in northern Europe in the late 18th century — likely somewhere between Scandinavia, Germany and France. The first rule collections were printed in the 1780s, and the pastime spread among the aristocracy; Napoleon, in exile, is often named as a devotee.
Klondike takes its name from the Klondike region of the Yukon (Canada), scene of the 1896–1899 gold rush. Prospectors are said to have passed the long, frozen nights dealing the game in their camps — and the name stuck precisely because it evokes that lonely gamble for fortune.
What turned Klondike into the world’s most-played solitaire, though, was the computer: in 1990 Microsoft bundled “Solitaire” with Windows 3.0. Written by intern Wes Cherry, it was really there to teach people to use the mouse and drag-and-drop — and became one of the most-played games in history.
Facts about Harp
- The bouncing cascade of cards on a win became the signature of Windows Solitaire — and a small end-of-workday addiction in offices around the world.
- Wes Cherry, who coded the game as an intern, never received royalties. He also hid a “boss key” that swapped the screen for a fake spreadsheet — cut from the final release.
- In 2019 Windows Solitaire was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, alongside classics like Tetris and Super Mario Bros.
- Not every Klondike deal is solvable — unlike FreeCell, the luck of the draw matters here, and some deals simply cannot be won.
How to play Harp step by step
- Goal: with two decks (104 cards) and eight foundations, move every card by suit from Ace to King.
- In the tableau (ten columns), build descending sequences in alternating colors, just like Klondike.
- The big difference: empty columns accept any card or run, not just Kings — far more room to maneuver.
- Move a group already in sequence at once. Face-down cards reveal themselves when they reach the top.
- Click the stock to draw; recycle the waste when it empties (unlimited passes).
- Use the ten columns and the free empty spaces to dig out the cards that are stuck.