Microsoft employees playing Solitaire aren’t wasting time, they’re doing their jobs. In honor of the popular game’s 25th anniversary, Microsoft is challenging the world to a Solitaire tournament, and you better believe you’re invited.
In preparation for the epic showdown, the tech company is currently in the process of finding the strongest Solitaire players within its own ranks, hosting an internal competition that pits Microsoft employee against Microsoft employee to answer the age-old question: who is the greatest Solitaire master of them all?
Once the best company players are crowned, they will then take on the public beginning June 5. If you’re interested in participating, you have a few weeks left to brush up on your Solitaire skills before going head-to-head with some of the best players at the game.
In the two and a half decades since the game first hit PCs on May 18, 1990, Solitaire has undergone a series of changes and spawned a number of spin-offs, including Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, TriPeaks, and Pyramid. The tournament will allow you to try your luck against Microsoft’s best in those games too, but frankly, is there any game that can top the original Solitaire?
This 25th anniversary celebration somewhat makes up for the removal of the game with the release of Windows 8, during which Microsoft forced users to actually download the game from the Windows store in order to access its full glory. Recognizing the error of its ways, Microsoft reintroduced the game with Windows 10, as was its partner in crime, Minesweeper.
There is no word yet on what the prize for the ultimate champion will be, but let’s be honest, can anything really top bragging rights as the world’s best Solitaire player, or better yet, procrastinator?
Let the games begin!