The game can be modified to become a multi-player game. The player decides on the scoring option to play by. It could be either the standard or the Vegas scoring method. The latter is a timed system that has been implemented to put time constraints into place, and to keep a count of the number of moves made. This makes scoring in the game relatively difficult.
The game has skill levels, with the higher levels being more complex than the lower levels. These skill levels usually present the diverse difficulties in re-arranging the deck to finish the game. There are also game options for the number of decks to play. It can be anywhere from one to four decks.
The card game has different variations, based on the layout of the board, the number of cards or decks, and the allowed moves. The variations include FreeCell, Spider solitaire and Klondike Solitaire. A player can access any of these variations as computer games, requiring only the basic Microsoft Windows operating system to run them. The games use flash technology, thus eliminating manual installation.
The game is also available online. A player obtains details of playing the game and its rules, and also gets to play Solitaire for free. Free downloads are available. In order for a novice to play Solitaire, and be successful at it, they should be familiar with the vocabulary of the game. This vocabulary refers to the terms that are common to the different variations. They include the term cell, which is a spot on the board layout in which only one card placement is allowed. There is also the foundation, which refers to a target suit that is arranged from Ace to King, moving upwards. When the layout is set, there is a pile of unused cards left. The term for these cards is stock. This stock becomes a waste pile, when only the first three cards are allowed to be used.