Online Card Games For Relaxation

There are all kinds of ways of spending time online and not all of them are creative or healthy.  Recreation in the form of online card games like Solitaire can be not only a source of relaxation but also gentle mental exercise.

Solitaire, or Patience as we used to call it in the UK, has been around almost as long as playing cards themselves but there are several variations of the game.

While there are advantages to playing complex team games, the mental benefits of simple online card games and various versions of Solitaire include improved memory and concentration.

Consider the game of Solitaire from start to finish.  From the moment you set aside time to play the game you’ve decided to devote it to some relaxation.  It may not be yoga, meditation, or reading a book in a quiet corner of the house but it’s relaxation nonetheless.

Solitaire is not a demanding game but it does require a certain amount of strategy, and if you play different versions of the game you’ll be able to exercise different mental muscles.

You may have found this out for yourself.  If you just want to wind down after a burst of effort at work then playing Solitaire for a while gives your brain some downtime or at least the part of your brain that has been busy can relax while another part of your brain holds the reins, creating a pause between two parts of the day.

It’s even possible to enter into a meditative state while concentrating on your game of Solitaire.  As you play the game your brainwaves change frequency and you may find yourself entering into the Alpha state.  Playing against a clock and keeping a score creates goals on which you can set your sights.  

Online Card Games -Solitaire.org – Pyramid

Solitaire.org is a refreshingly clean site that’s simple to use and contains enough variety in its online card games to keep you busy for hours.  There are sound effects and music but if you find these intrusive you can turn these off at the click of an icon.  Each game page includes a short history of the game and detailed instructions on how to play it.  Think about your move before you make it in some games but not all of them have an undo function so errors can’t be corrected.

I particularly like the Pyramid Solitaire.  Rather than stacking cards into numeric sequence this game involves pairing the value of the cards so that they total 13.  The Jack is eleven, the Queen is 12, and the King can be dropped out as a single card as it’s value is 13.  Consequently, it involves a little addition as well as observation.  

The pyramid is made up of 28 cards and the remaining 24 are in a draw pile beneath.  You can match two cards within those that are exposed in the pyramid or with any in the draw pile.  It’s really very simple to play, just like all games of Solitaire but it requires just enough concentration to keep you interested. 

Online card games like this make a refreshing change from scrolling through social media which is far from a relaxing experience given what’s going on in the world and how people are reacting.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll win and there’s a clock ticking which focuses your concentration and encourages you to beat the clock but only if you can withdraw all the cards.

Other online card games on the site are;  Freecell, Spider, Golf, Klondike, Tripeaks, and Mahjong, as well as the version of Solitaire you probably know already which is located on the home page..