Who created Microsoft Solitaire?

Solitaire,a computer card game ubiquitous with unwinding for a few minutes and installed standard on every Microsoft computer since 1990, got its start in 1988 thanks to a single bored intern.

Wes Cherry worked for Microsoft in the 80s as an intern and found himself with an abundance of time more often than not. He used that time to create the first version of Solitaire. In the first version of Solitaire, Wes designed what he called a ‘boss button’ that would bring up a fake spreadsheet onto the screen so players could pretend they were working should a supervisor happen to walk by. But that feature was axed before the game was published.

When Microsoft first added Solitaire to their computers, users did little more in the card game than match cards of suits in numeric order. When they won, the screen would explode with bouncing cards and ask users if they wanted to play again. Today, there are multiple modes for Solitaire, users can customize their cards and background, and they can even pick the type of celebration they get when they win. The game is still played the same, but now users can toggle on hints that will guide them towards the best card choice, and they can time themselves to keep track of their fastest game.

Wes brought his game to the higher-ups at Microsoft and even got the blessing of Bill Gates himself. The official reason Solitaire was added to Microsoft computers over the years was to help users get better control of the mouse and to learn all the different features of Microsoft’s operating system. But it seems it was really included just to give users more ways to have fun with their computers.

Wes Cherry may have brought the world a computer game that is more popular than any other computer game on the planet, but he never profited from his efforts. Whether because of his internship or some legally binding contract behind the scenes, Wes never saw a dime from his work on Solitaire. He’s since left the technology sector and lives a quiet life with his family.

Solitaire’s meager beginnings laid a solid foundation for the game to blossom into what it is today. A game so common on Microsoft computers that it’s as iconic as the Windows logo itself. Users worldwide have fled to Solitaire’s safety for peace of mind, relaxation, or a few minutes of downtime at the office. And now, over thirty years later, Solitaire is still a game many people play to whittle away hours and manage their boredom, just like the original creator did.