[b]edit:[/b] review text unchanged but flipped to a non-recommendation due to missing quality of life (e.g. no mid-game saving) and the dev deleting critical feedback to hide the shortcomings of their games.
[b]spider solitaire collection[/b] is one of the not that many card game collections available on steam. some are better value for money, others are worse, but [b]20 variants[/b] will still keep anybody busy for a long time. since only a few are listed on the store page, here's the complete list:
[list]
[*]beeswax
[*]black widow
[*]curds and whey
[*]double scorpion
[*]kiki
[*]miss muffet
[*]mrs. mop
[*]scorpion
[*]scorpion II
[*]simple simon
[*]spider (1 suit)
[*]spider (2 suits)
[*]spider (4 suits)
[*]spiderette (1 suit)
[*]spiderette (2 suits)
[*]spiderette (4 suits)
[*]tarantula
[*]ukrainian solitaire
[*]wasp
[*]will o' the wisp
[/list]
since it's spider and friends, [b]you can't build on foundations[/b], which makes things a lot harder than some other variants. rules for each are available in-game and there's [b]unlimited undo[/b]. an auto-complete hotkey is not necessary here, unlike in the other collections, as stacks are moved to the foundation automatically once they're all in one place. stats keep track of times played, won, best time and score, etc. unfortunatly, [b]the timer and move counter can't be turned off[/b], they appear as soon as the first move is made. they're not super-intrusive at least. [b]the end-level animation can't be skipped either, just as annoying.[/b]
mouse controls are simply left click to drag cards around, double-click to move them instantly, the end. right click could do the double-click action too. controller is also supported, didn't try it, and not only are there hotkeys, noted next to every button for convenience, arrows and enter also work. why anybody would want to play solitaire with a keyboard (or a controller for that matter) is beyond me, but it's an option. hotkey binds aren't that great, 'y' to access rules, 'b' to close the window, which is also undo for some reason, and 'x' is auto-complete but when it's not available, it'll deal the next card, except it's not mentioned anywhere. and there needs to be a restart button on-screen, too tedious to get a new deal right now.
settings, also available while playing, are limited to sound on/off, music on/off and a full screen toggle with a resizable window. some effects are a bit annoying but they're always the first to go in a game like this. classical renditions serve as music, very small selection sure to get on your nerves fast. [b]progress is lost when you quit[/b], which is not ideal, but it's all endless/random deals, so just about not a dealbreaker. a 'no more moves' pop-up would be appreciated though, as well as an 'only solvable layouts' toggle and seeds to replay the same ones later.
while there are cheaper $/game alternatives, this is still a good collection. however, for this price [b]it needs more quality of life and some customization[/b]. a few card backs and fronts, and definitely alternative themes to mix up all the redness. until then I'd recommend waiting for a sale. [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/1943880]forty thieves solitaire collection[/url], [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/1337840]klondike solitaire collection[/url], [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/1943870]freecell solitaire collection[/url] and [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/2086130]canfield solitaire collection[/url] are also available with 20 variants each.
