Heartwild Solitaire Classic: Free, Cheezy Bread, Free!

Combine romance short stories by some awesome authors, the addiction of solitaire and the appeal of beautiful graphics and you have one almighty unholy time suck. Seriously, some of you may never forgive me. I’m not even kidding.

For a limited time, Heartwild Solitaire Classic is available free for download from Orchid Games. Orchid asked seven romance authors to write short stories for the solitaire game, and if you win a game, you get to read one. Take a look at the list, yo:

Oh, the PRESSURE. The game is PC and Mac compatible, too. How cool is that?! Act now while supplies last, and be sure to let me know how much time you used up- and how the stories are! I’m really busy over here… because I really suck at solitaire.

 

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  1. HeatherK says:

    That’s so cool, and I’m so glad there was a Mac version. I made sure to forward the link to my mom, too. She’s a huge romance fan and loves playing computer games like solitaire as well. 🙂

    Thanks for the link!

  2. just some random bitch says:

    I think it’s bold to call what’s hardly four pages ‘stories’. I read one story, and it was over so fast… and then there was this ad… I don’t think it’s worth the space on my computer. I find the fact that the solitaire takes over the entire screen annoying, and the music was not to my taste. Personally, I don’t recommend this. Maybe someone else would like it though…

  3. joanneL says:

    Derek sent the link to that for anyone who bought the game. Major TIME SUCK. It’s a very nice way to lose an hour.

    The background music is also like a drug, suddenly you’re feeling tired, very tired. Best sleep inducer I know.

  4. Carin says:

    I love it!  The “stories” are 4 “pages” but that’s not why I play – and I keep the volume off.  It’s an awesome deck of cards to play with!

  5. Polly says:

    It’s a nice deck of cards, but I’m disappointed in the stories. The first one I read, I got to what I thought was the end of a scene, only to discover it was the end of the story. I get it—they’re free, they’re not going to be novels. But I feel taken in.

    And “Last Words” was just icky. Maybe others disagree, but I was squicked.

  6. Bonnie says:

    Heh…. well, I’m glad I skipped this one.  But thanks!  LOL!

  7. PetiteJ says:

    “Last Words” was definitely icky.  It’s quite a feat to squick someone out in one page.

  8. chisai says:

    You know, I just bought the freakin’ game 2 days ago.  If anyone cares, it’s a pretty good solitaire game.  I don’t actually read the attached stories.  But the cards and music are purdy.

  9. Tracy Wolff says:

    Major time-suck.  But I liked the Sherry Thomas story 🙂

  10. HeatherK says:

    Just a note, you can put the game in windowed mode and turn the music volume all the way down through the game’s options. It was the first thing I did after installing.

  11. Julia says:

    SUPER grateful for the Mac version. I’ve been dying without solitaire on my Macbook. I read “Last Words” after reading the above comments…but I’m in it for the pretty cards and the game itself not so much the romances. Great time suck!

    Also, the music makes me feel as if I am about to be getting a massage.

    And a great big Thanks to Orchid Games for the freebie and remembering us Mac users!

  12. Mollyscribbles says:

    I’ve unlocked all of them, and only have two left to read, but so far Clarissa and Hastings is the only one I didn’t get a creepy vibe from.  Or, at least, the only one I found to be romantic.  Yeah, it’s hard to sell a couple in only four pages, and it’s rare that I can even enjoy a short story (as they’ll rarely convince me that the couple shares more than fun consenting sexytimes), but . . . it seems like there are still better options.

  13. Mollyscribbles says:

    Though, I will add, the game itself is pretty awesome.

  14. SonomaLass says:

    I downloaded this over the holidays and never got around to playing it.  Thanks for the reminder!  Anything that helps get me through the gap between Sherry Thomas’ books is worthwhile.

  15. Ros says:

    I like the deck of cards with the beautiful kings and queens and the roguish knaves.  I also like the graphics of the cards moving and turning.  I definitely prefer this to the standard MS version – and yes, you can set it to be in its own window, rather than full screen.  I’ve played twice, won once and read ‘The Price of Coffee’ which I thought was rather nice for a short short.  I’m definitely keeping this!

  16. Suzanne says:

    The game is entertaining and pretty…the so called stories…god awful

  17. Mollyscribbles says:

    “The Six of Hearts” just confused me.  There was no explanation whatsoever about why an individual card would be sold at auction, or why she’d need that specific card.  And the ‘romance’ was so sudden that I rather expected her to hit him and ask if he meant that she whore herself out for the card.

  18. Nara Malone says:

    I lost five times before I won the right to read my first story. I really wanted to read Megan Hart’s story and since you’re blindly picking stories, I didn’t pull hers till the 4th win. I suck at solitaire, so I blew an afternoon trying to get to that story. Yes the stories were too short, more like a supermarket tasting than a meal. I don’t feel taken in because it was free fun. There is a pay for version with a full story that really looks interesting. I have to catch up my workload before I give it a try.

  19. Breemgrrl says:

    I bought and played that version with the full story last year from Big Fish games. The story, which you get in pieces after completing each level, features a woman escaping from an abusive husband and reluctantly falling for her hunky neighbor across the way. The plot was confusing at times and the language a tad too melodramatic, but it was a pretty decent read. The games can be somewhat difficult to win, but if you run out of moves, you have the option to restart at that spot.

    And speaking of time suck, Big Fish has tons of hidden object games (my addiction), and one of the latest is “Hidden Object of Love,” sponsored by Harlequin, with an original story set in the “House of Karedes” universe (the Aristo part) wrapped around the hidden object scenes (which are a little weird in context). The package also includes a .pdf of the complete text of “Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress.” You can download a trial version of the game, playable free for an hour; the full version is $6.99.

  20. Nara Malone says:

    I tried the “Hidden Object of Love” about a week ago. I only played a couple of rounds, didn’t even use my full free hour of play yet. I couldn’t see how the object hunting connected with the story. Maybe I’ll give it another shot.

    I tried another Big Fish game, a detective mystery that I could play on my iPod Touch, “Nick Chase”. I only played the lite version, but that one integrated the puzzles into the story and I found that more satisfying.

    I’ve been waiting for true interactive romance novels to be born ever since I discovered Amy Briggs’ “Plundered Hearts”. I feel like the renewed interest in interactive fiction might finally bring that about. It has been a long time coming and we’re not there yet, but I think we’re getting closer.

  21. Sayuri says:

    I downloaded the free game, then bought the authors edition and I love it. The story itself was horrid. I think they’d have been much better getting a book already pubbed and paying a license to use that.

    That said, the story had no bearing on my love of the game. I love the lush card designs, the unusaul and sometimes really difficult layouts. It has a level editor so you can create your own level. Mostly though I just like trying to play the perfect game and getting as many points as poss. Yes, I am THAT competitve.

  22. Betsy says:

    I have been playing this game way too much—I love the design.  I was very surprised, when I read the first story, to discover that the hero and heroine are Ben and Betsy—my SO’s and my names.  It was pretty much full of win.

  23. Betsy says:

    Though I will admit, the story itself did squick me out, as others have been saying.

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