12x1 Solitaire
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| 12x1 Solitaire

There's a very limited checklist of just what can go wrong with this kind of solitaire selection. Assuming it comes with a good body of games, works at a basic level, and adheres to the accepted rules, finding fault isn't easy.

But by the same token there's also a finite amount of room to make each and every variant feel noticeably different from the last. Most don't bother, in truth, preferring to focus on functionality over extravagance.

If you hadn't guessed already, 12x1 Solitaire falls firmly into this breed.

Practical, but not perfect

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. Bringing 12 games of solitaire to the table – the likes of Klondike, Pyramid and Freecell – EA's take on the game puts practicality at the forefront.

For those in the know, its tutorial mode – which can be triggered each time you start a new variation of the game – is essentially like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, but for newcomers it takes the liberal step of making the moves for you and letting you watch, rather than instructing you to do the obvious in the background.

It might sound like a small difference, but in fact it helps keep such intrusions succinct.

Likewise, the rest of play has a concise, efficient tone. For instance, when a possible solution has been found the game's auto mode kicks in and, on instruction, sorts the cards out for you.

Time is of the essence

This isn't cheating, of course, but it does help eradicate a lot of wasted time, letting you crack on with the next game rather than spend seconds dealing with the last.

Controls in general are equally functional, number keys moving the pointer – which takes the form of a hand – around, '5' picking up individual cards or shuffling through the main pack, and pressing down on the D-pad or '8' enabling you to pick up stacks in whole.

It's all the perfect example of 12x1 Solitaire's wider attitude to the game, in fact.

This is solitaire for folk to pick up and play when they have a spare few minutes. Without character, without charm, but most importantly, without mistakes, it's hard to view 12x1 Solitaire as anything but the game as it should be, and nothing more.

12x1 Solitaire

Functional like most, EA's crack at the solitaire whip makes no wrong moves, but doesn't shine either
Score
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.