Pros and cons of being addicted to Freecell and Spider Solitaire



Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010

by Boris Sandberg
BVS Development Corporation

Distractions are a necessary part of life. When all the documents and memos you see at work start to look like a blur, or when the kids are acting like barbarians, a simple diversion is always welcome. Many have found that a computer game can do just the trick. Of course, what many blissfully ignorant people fail to realize is the life-sucking addiction that freecell solitaire and other computer games create. Whether one should welcome the beast or fight it with all of their might is, well, up for debate.

Freecell is a simple card game in which solo players try to get all 52 cards in nice, neat stacks according to their suits. Computer solitaire games make the act of moving virtual paper cards around entertaining. Freecell solitaire addiction, like many others, often starts with a definite high. It's a common law of nature that everyone loses their first game. The game taunts players by saying, "Loser. This counts as a loss in your statistics." Although no one knows why these statistics are so vital, no one likes being called a loser; thus, they attack their second game like an angry dog. Rather than cowering in fear, the game itself seems to respond with, "Oh, aren't you cute?"

After a while, desensitization is inevitable. The images of empty cells and randomly scattered cards that simply need fixed up are forever ingrained on the minds of the freecell addict. They need something new. Enter spider solitaire, the first computer game that allows its addict to control dosage. Whether a player chooses to play with one suit or all four all depends on how much of a high they seek, and more importantly, how willing they are to hit rock bottom.

Regardless of being demoralized by a computer, many find that a freecell or spider solitaire addiction is exactly what they need in their life to stay sane. Rather than organizing paperwork and getting paid for it, helpless computer game addicts are quite content with organizing computerized decks of cards and getting "statistics" for it. While many view this lack of productivity as harmful to human beings, freecell solitaire and spider solitaire addicts are quick to point out others' time-wasting habits in hasty defense. No matter how good or bad it is, one thing is for certain: the games are addictive.

About The Author

Boris Sandberg is a developer of the BVS Solitaire Collection -- a collection of about 430 different solitaire card games, including Spider Solitaire and Freecell.
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