Evidence library
Solitaire research and data
Explore measured Solitaire results and illustrated explainers on probability, design and everyday decisions, with sources, downloadable data and clearly stated limits.
Measured report
Solitaire Win Rates
Explore versioned player results, sample sizes, uncertainty and the separate solver evidence.
Explore the win-rate reportEvidence analysis
Hardest Solitaire Games
See how measured results and solver evidence inform an editorial comparison of Solitaire difficulty.
Read the difficulty analysisPublic methodology
Solitaire Win-Rate Methodology
Review the definitions, cohort rules, limitations, corrections and reproducible calculations behind the report.
Review the methodologyProbability, design and everyday decisions
Solitaire Opening Aces: Exact Probabilities Explained
Calculate the chance of zero, one or several Aces among Klondike’s seven opening face-up cards, with assumptions and reproducible Python.
Solitaire Losing Streaks: Probability Without the Myths
Use a transparent probability model to compare fixed losing streaks with runs across a session, without treating a toy win rate as player data.
Random vs Winnable Solitaire Deals: What Changes?
Separate random selection, solver certification and player completion using a ten-deal example, clear assumptions and reproducible arithmetic.
Draw 1 vs Draw 3 Win Rates: Why the Comparison Is Tricky
Recalculate the frozen August 2026 Draw 1 and Draw 3 results, then use a labeled example to see how player selection can reverse an overall comparison.
How much of the day do we spend alone?
Explore 2025 U.S. time spent alone by age, household and day of week. Original charts of BLS waking-time estimates, with data downloads and clear limits.
Paying for entertainment we do not use.
Explore YouGov findings on unused streaming subscriptions, calculate your annual recurring costs, and work through a practical subscription review.
Which airports take the biggest bite out of your time?
Compare departure delays at 50 busy U.S. airports using a year of BTS flight records. Explore delay frequency, duration, cancellations and monthly patterns.
Where digital experiences give us a stopping point.
A visual guide to digital stopping points: item endings, finite collections, autoplay and completed goals. Explore four interface patterns in an interactive model.
Good decision. Bad outcome.
A visual guide to outcome bias: separate the quality of a choice from its result, explore a fixed-probability example, and review decisions with the evidence attached.
How we learned to use computers
Point, open, drag, follow, pinch: a visual history of five everyday computer interactions, with primary sources and an interactive drag-and-drop example.
An atlas of symbols in card design.
Explore French, German and Italian suit symbols, three documented museum objects, and an interactive card decoder. Original visual atlas with downloadable reference.
What a short break can—and cannot—do.
A visual guide to short-break research: energy, fatigue and performance are different outcomes. Explore the evidence, its limits, and an editable break-planning note.
Why randomness creates streaks and clusters
Random does not mean evenly spaced. Explore why streaks and clusters occur, how observation windows change the odds, and why drawing a card differs from flipping a coin.
When color cannot carry the message.
Explore how labels, shapes and patterns preserve meaning when color alone is not enough. Interactive examples, contrast comparisons and a downloadable visual checklist.
Where our free time goes
A visual guide to American leisure in 2025: activities, age differences, weekdays versus weekends, and what an average day really means. Explore official BLS data.
For history, scoring and game comparisons, explore the Solitaire blog.