Solitaire is one of those genres that are often overlooked or taken for granted. Most people don’t really seem to see the appeal of playing this venerable card game. What they don’t know is that, thanks to the improvements in technology in the Internet, there are now new ways in which one can enjoy playing a game of Solitaire.

Let’s talk about three online solitaire games that you might want to check once you’re done reading.

For instance, have you ever heard about playing Solitaire competitively? That’s what you can do when you play the unique Solitaire Arena on Facebook. This is a free-to-play game, and pits you against your friend in a game of Solitaire. That could come as a surprise for some people because Solitaire, after all, was meant to be played alone. That’s what its name means, as a matter of fact. So, how does one play Solitaire in a competitive environment?

It’s actually more of a time trial of some sort. You and a friend, or a group of friends, are dealt with the same deck. What you do then is to try to complete the game as quick as you can. Whoever finishes the deck the quickest is declared the winner. It’s really fun, and there’s even a chat feature on the right side of the screen to pass the time while waiting for other players to finish.

On the other hand, we have Solitaire Tales. This one blends the mechanics of role-playing games with the game play that’s common with Solitaire games. The game’s storyline deals with the quest of a hero – you! – to defeat the evil Deckromancer who has spirited away the Deck of Power and has acquired immense powers that are being used for evil! You must recover the Deck of Power and defeat the Deckromancer.

The game’s story plays out in a series of levels. In each level, you are tasked to collect all of the Goal Cards that have been scattered throughout the board with the regular cards. Releasing all the Goal Cards will move you to the next level and, thus, move the story forward. The game features a challenging gameplay and lots of beautiful backgrounds, so check this out.

Last but not the least is Solitaire Castle. The game is a lighthearted adventure that sees you trying to rescue your puppy Sparky with the aid of a ghost. Each level requires you to gain Stars by chaining your moves together to achieve streaks. The more streaks you sustain, the higher your final score will be. When you’ve met the requisite number of points for each level, the game then moves forward and you get closer to rescuing your puppy that has found itself trapped at the top of a wizard’s castle.

The best thing about most Solitaire games is that they are free to play. Most of them are found on Facebook, and you only need an account in order to play. Don’t hesitate to give these three titles a try!