List of games included with Windows

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Solitaire has been included in every version of Windows since Windows 3.0, except Windows 8 and 8.1.

Video games have been included in versions of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting from Windows 1.0, all published by Microsoft. Some games that have appeared in Microsoft Entertainment Pack and Microsoft Plus! have been included in subsequent versions of Windows as well. Microsoft Solitaire has been included in every version of Windows since Windows 3.0, except Windows 8 and 8.1. The latest version of Windows, Windows 11, includes Microsoft Solitaire Collection and Surf.

History

Microsoft planned to include games when developing Windows 1.0 in 1983–1984. Pre-release versions of Windows 1.0 initially included another game, Puzzle, but it was scrapped in favor of Reversi, based on the board game of the same name.[1] Reversi was included in Windows versions up to Windows 3.1. Solitaire was developed in 1988 by the intern Wes Cherry.[2][3][4] The card deck itself was designed by Susan Kare, who was known for her work on icon designs for the original Macintosh.[5]

Microsoft intended Solitaire to "soothe people intimidated by the operating system," and at a time where many users were still unfamiliar with graphical user interfaces, it proved useful in familiarizing them with the use of a mouse, such as the drag-and-drop technique required for moving cards.[6] According to Microsoft telemetry, Solitaire was among the three most-used Windows programs and FreeCell was seventh, ahead of productivity-based applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel.[7][7] Lost business productivity by employees playing Solitaire became a common concern since the game was included in Windows by default.[8]

FreeCell was introduced as a bundled game in Windows NT 3.1. The game was available for Windows 3.1, as it was included in installations of Win32s for the purposes of verifying that the 32-bit thunking layer was installed correctly.[9]

The Microsoft Hearts Network was included with Windows for Workgroups 3.1, as a showcase of NetDDE technology by enabling multiple players to play simultaneously across a computer network.[10] This technology would lead to the inclusion of various online multiplayer titles under the Internet brand, which were included in Windows Me, XP and 7, alongside other online multiplayer-based titles.[11] Support for Internet games for Windows Me and XP ended on July 31, 2019, and for Windows 7 on January 22, 2020.[11] 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet is a version of the "Space Cadet" pinball table from the 1995 video game Full Tilt! Pinball.[12]

In Minesweeper for Windows Vista and 7, the game comes with an alternate "Flower Garden" style, alongside the default "Minesweeper" style.[13] This is due to controversy over the original land mine theme of the game being potentially insensitive, and the "Flower Garden" style was used as the default theme in "sensitive areas".[14]

Several third party games, such as Candy Crush Saga and Disney Magic Kingdoms, have been included as advertisements on the Start menu in Windows 10, and may also be automatically installed by the operating system.[15][16] Windows 11 includes the Xbox app, which allows users to access the PC Game Pass video game subscription service.[17][18] Additionally, versions of the Microsoft Edge browser from 2020 onwards (bundled with Windows 10 and 11) include the Surf game.[19]

Microsoft Casual Games

Starting from 2012 onwards, with the release of Windows 8, updated versions of previously bundled games are now under the brand Microsoft Casual Games, in addition to several brand new games. With the exception of Solitaire Collection being included in Windows 10 and 11, these games are not included with Windows, and are instead available as ad-supported free downloads in Microsoft Store.[20][21]

Premium monthly and annual subscriptions are available, which removes advertisements and offers several gameplay benefits, a move that has been criticized by reviewers as a way to "nickel and dime" users, since previous versions of Solitaire and previously bundled games did not include any advertisements or paid subscriptions.[22][23] There are five Windows games under the Microsoft Casual Games banner:[24]

Included games

Games included with Microsoft Windows releases
1.0 2.0 and 2.1 3.0 3.1[25] NT 3.1, NT 3.5 and NT 3.51 95 NT 4.0 98 2000 Me XP Vista[26][27] 7[28] 8 and 8.1 10[20] 11
Reversi Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No
Solitaire — Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[a] Yes[a]
Minesweeper — Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Hearts — Maybe [b] No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
FreeCell — Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[a] Yes[a]
Hover! — Maybe [c] No No No No No No No No No No
3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet — Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Internet Backgammon — Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Internet Checkers — Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Internet Hearts — Yes Yes No No No No No
Internet Reversi — Yes Yes No No No No No
Internet Spades — Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Spider Solitaire — Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[a] Yes[a]
Inkball — Maybe [d] Maybe [e] No No No No
Purble Place — Yes Yes No No No
Mahjong Titans — Maybe [e] Maybe [f] No No No
Chess Titans — Maybe [e] Maybe [f] No No No
Tinker — Maybe [g] No No No No
Hold 'Em — Maybe [g] No No No No
Solitaire Collection — Yes Yes
Surf — Maybe [h] Yes[i]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f As part of Microsoft Solitaire Collection
  2. ^ Only included with Windows for Workgroups 3.1
  3. ^ Only included with CD-ROM version
  4. ^ Only included with Tablet PC Edition
  5. ^ a b c Only included with Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions
  6. ^ a b Only included with Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions
  7. ^ a b Only included with Ultimate edition
  8. ^ Included via the Microsoft Edge browser from 2020 onwards[19]
  9. ^ Included via the Microsoft Edge browser[19]

References

  1. ^ "PUZZLE on Windows 1.01, Windows 2.03 and Windows 3.00 – BetaArchive". www.betaarchive.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan (April 13, 2017). "A bored intern created the original Windows Solitaire". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Cherry, Wes. "Interview with Wes Cherry – B3TA.com 2008". B3ta.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  4. ^ "Wes Cherry on Reddit about Solitaire". January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "Susan Kare personal website showing her design for Microsoft Solitaire". Kare.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  6. ^ Garreau, Joel (March 9, 1994). "Office Minefield". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Dear, Brian (2017). "27. Leaving the Nest". The Friendly Orange Glow. New York: Pantheon Books. pp. 502–503. ISBN 978-1-101-87156-0.
  8. ^ Church, George J. (October 12, 1998). "Quarterly Business Report: Do Computers Really Save Money?". Time. Time Inc. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007.
  9. ^ "How to Troubleshoot Win32s Installation Problems". web.mit.edu. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  10. ^ Craig Stinson (June 15, 1993). "Open Windows for Workgroups". PC Magazine. p. 292. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Farewell to Microsoft Internet Games on Windows XP, Windows ME, and Windows 7". Microsoft Community. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  12. ^ updated, Zac Bowden last (May 20, 2022). "Windows features we loved and miss from earlier OS versions". Windows Central. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "Column from Tony "Tablesaw" Delgado about puzzle games". Gamesetwatch.com. February 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  14. ^ Kaushik (February 10, 2010). "The Minesweeper Controversy: How Flower Garden came into Windows Vista". Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  15. ^ Webster, Andrew (May 14, 2015). "Candy Crush will be automatically installed on Windows 10". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  16. ^ Bott, Ed. "Avoid Windows 10 crapware: How to get rid of Candy Crush and all the rest". ZDNet. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  17. ^ Tuttle, Will (October 4, 2021). "Available Now: Windows 11 is Built for Gaming". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Minor, Jordan (November 23, 2021). "With Windows 11, Microsoft Makes Every PC an Xbox". PCMag India. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c Warren, Tom (February 26, 2020). "Microsoft is adding a secret SkiFree-like surfing game into its Edge browser". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Microsoft is bringing Solitaire back to Windows 10 – The Verge". April 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  21. ^ "Microsoft Casual Games FAQ". Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  22. ^ Walker, Alissa (July 29, 2015). "If You Want Microsoft Solitaire Ad-Free It'll Cost You $10/Year". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  23. ^ Hackman, Mark. "Microsoft wants you to pay for Solitaire, again, in Windows 10". PCWorld. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  24. ^ "Microsoft Casual Games". microsoftcasualgames.com. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  25. ^ "Microsoft Reversi for Windows 3.x – Archive". 1990. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Which Games Come With Windows Vista?". Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "A Look at Windows Vista Installed Games". GameSpot. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  28. ^ "Learn about games in Windows 7". Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2021.