Spigot
03-22-2009, 03:03 PM
On this first weekend of spring, we take a bit of time away from killing sprees and epic quests to embark on a nice long casual walk in the sunshine.
In this case, Turning The Spigot's long walk is spoiled by a lot of cards.
Fairway Solitaire
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3375989877_d73b1fb22e.jpg?v=0
Year: 2007
Platform: PC, Mac
Rating: Duffer's Choice
# of Players: 1
Fairway Solitaire is, as the name suggests, the unholy union of golf and cards. It is also one of the most addictive games I have ever played. If you have some productivity you need killed, Fairway Solitaire is for you!
Fairway Solitaire plays a strange version of Solitaire that essentially has you picking off the top cards from a variety of piles in sequential order (suits don't matter in this game) with the goal to clear the entire screen before you go through your draw pile.
The real hook of Fairway Solitaire is how the devs have added a variety of subtle elements to the gameplay which can radically alter the scoring from board to board. To unlock a new course on the map, you usually have to hit some sort of goal, be it a certain amount of perfect holes or a dollar value which must be exceeded. Add to that things like sand traps (which effectively lock the top card of several piles until a Sand Wedge card is found) or water hazards (which need to be cleared before other piles will flip over) and you can often be torn between which card to play next.
There are also a variety of wild cards that can turn up at any time in the game. Wild cards can boost your score multiplier, cause you to lose cards from your draw pile or wipe out water traps, amongst many other effects. You can also find a variety of clubs that you can keep in your golf bag and use if you're several cards into a long drive (aka run of cards) and want to keep it going. Need to clear that 5 from the board? Just throw down your 6-iron and get to work!
This all sounds fine on paper but it wouldn't be nearly as addictive if the developers hadn't taken the time to really try to integrate the golf experience into the card game. From the opening screen, you'll find yourself in a stylized 2D clubhouse about to embark on your trek to the top of the standings. You can visit the golf shop and buy upgrades to your golfer (ie. x-ray specs that let you see through the back of cards, etc.) and check out the trophies that showcases the special achievements that you will achieve for hitting various milestones or pulling off difficult challenges. The sound design is also spot on, with ambient nature sounds that vary from course to course and the swish and thwonk of golf clubs hitting the balls with each turn of the cards. Add to this some delightful commentary by a few goofy announcers and you have something that is more than just another Freecell wannabe.
6XH4NhjiLQQ
You can play an online version of the game here (http://www.fairwaysolitaire.com/). The full version is available via that website too.
I apologize in advance for any loss of productivity this game may cause.
In this case, Turning The Spigot's long walk is spoiled by a lot of cards.
Fairway Solitaire
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3375989877_d73b1fb22e.jpg?v=0
Year: 2007
Platform: PC, Mac
Rating: Duffer's Choice
# of Players: 1
Fairway Solitaire is, as the name suggests, the unholy union of golf and cards. It is also one of the most addictive games I have ever played. If you have some productivity you need killed, Fairway Solitaire is for you!
Fairway Solitaire plays a strange version of Solitaire that essentially has you picking off the top cards from a variety of piles in sequential order (suits don't matter in this game) with the goal to clear the entire screen before you go through your draw pile.
The real hook of Fairway Solitaire is how the devs have added a variety of subtle elements to the gameplay which can radically alter the scoring from board to board. To unlock a new course on the map, you usually have to hit some sort of goal, be it a certain amount of perfect holes or a dollar value which must be exceeded. Add to that things like sand traps (which effectively lock the top card of several piles until a Sand Wedge card is found) or water hazards (which need to be cleared before other piles will flip over) and you can often be torn between which card to play next.
There are also a variety of wild cards that can turn up at any time in the game. Wild cards can boost your score multiplier, cause you to lose cards from your draw pile or wipe out water traps, amongst many other effects. You can also find a variety of clubs that you can keep in your golf bag and use if you're several cards into a long drive (aka run of cards) and want to keep it going. Need to clear that 5 from the board? Just throw down your 6-iron and get to work!
This all sounds fine on paper but it wouldn't be nearly as addictive if the developers hadn't taken the time to really try to integrate the golf experience into the card game. From the opening screen, you'll find yourself in a stylized 2D clubhouse about to embark on your trek to the top of the standings. You can visit the golf shop and buy upgrades to your golfer (ie. x-ray specs that let you see through the back of cards, etc.) and check out the trophies that showcases the special achievements that you will achieve for hitting various milestones or pulling off difficult challenges. The sound design is also spot on, with ambient nature sounds that vary from course to course and the swish and thwonk of golf clubs hitting the balls with each turn of the cards. Add to this some delightful commentary by a few goofy announcers and you have something that is more than just another Freecell wannabe.
6XH4NhjiLQQ
You can play an online version of the game here (http://www.fairwaysolitaire.com/). The full version is available via that website too.
I apologize in advance for any loss of productivity this game may cause.