Speedrunning l33t with FreeCell Quiz

Answer: Reversi

If you've been using Windows since version 1.0, then I do hope your colonoscopy goes off without any... snags. Meanwhile, you might remember this traditional game. It's gone by many names through various incarnations since the 1800s, but in Windows it was called "Reversi". The only game packaged with the first version of Windows, it was largely included to help the user get the hang of using that funny little contraption called a mouse. The game made it through two more versions before finally being dropped in Windows 3.1.

Having just played a game in a Windows 1.0 online simulator, I find the computer opponent to be surprisingly capable for 1985. Either that or I'm just terrible at yet another computer game.

In Reversi, you take turns placing red pieces against the computer, which plays its blue pieces with ruthless efficiency and a complete disregard for your feelings. The idea is to trap your opponent's pieces in a straight line between two of yours. Once trapped, those pieces flip over and change color to your side. Keep flipping, and eventually the game will end when neither player has any legal moves left. The winner is the one with the most pieces of their color.

(Note: the image above is a recreated image of Othello.)

Answer: Solitaire

You know solitaire, I know solitaire, we all know solitaire. In 1990, Windows users were introduced to a computer version of it. This was the Klondike version, which involves seven columns of cards. You build descending sequences of alternating colors, while the goal is to build four complete suits from ace to king. If nothing else, it gave everyone something to do when the boss wasn't looking. Back then, mice were still awkward for a lot of people, and this game taught people how to click, hold, drag, and drop objects.

Answer: Minesweeper

This is the game that replaced Reversi in Windows 3.1, ending what had been a pretty good run for the piece-flipping game. The goal of Minesweeper is to uncover squares on a grid without hitting any of those pesky mines. If you don't hit a mine, numbers show how many mines were lurking in the eight surrounding squares. Curt Johnson and Robert Donner, programmers with Microsoft, developed the game for Windows, and it was released two years earlier as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack.

In 1992, it was showtime as it got bundled with the standard Windows package.

Answer: Hearts

If having most of your staff playing solitaire at work was bad, Windows for Workgroups 3.1 went after the other half by introducing the ability for users to play Hearts across a network. Up to four people could play together, with computer players at the ready in case you just couldn't handle dealing with Nina in HR today.

Hearts is another game that's been around for over a century. It's a card game where the goal is to avoid taking hearts and the dreaded queen of spades. Each heart you take earns you a 1-point penalty, and the dreaded queen of spades gets you 13.

Answer: FreeCell

I just lost a game of FreeCell so I could better explain the game. I simply wanted you to know that my self-esteem is taking a hit so that I can bring you the absolute finest firsthand information possible. I feel it's important that we all acknowledge my sacrifice.

This cruel game was packaged with Windows 95, and it's a lot like Klondike solitaire with a few important exceptions. First, all 52 cards are dealt into eight columns, face up to lure you into a false sense of hope. Next, you can only move one card at a time. This is where the four free cells, temporary holding areas, come into play. If you do it right, you can move fairly large stacks around, provided you have enough empty free cells and columns to work with. Finally, the ultimate goal is to transfer all cards into four foundation piles from ace to king by suit. It sounds easy enough, but that's how they get you.

(Note: Due to copyright issues, the image above is not the Windows version)

Answer: 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet

I just played "3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet" in a simulator. I didn't last very long, but I did get a high score. It's the only score there, but at least I'm going into this with a winning attitude.

It's your basic pinball game. It originally appeared as one of the three tables in "Full Tilt! Pinball", released by Maxis. Microsoft, in its wisdom, included a modified version with Microsoft Plus! 95, featuring only the Space Cadet table it later appeared in Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, the wretched Windows Me, and finally Windows XP.

Answer: Purble Place

"Purble Place" was a suite of three games designed to entertain the young ones while you cooked dinner. It provided the kids with a chance to practice memory skills, pattern recognition, and problem-solving.

But what about the games? Having just played "Comfy Cakes", I confess I'm not terribly impressed, but I did successfully make a chocolate cake to spec on a conveyor. On the second try.

As for the others, "Purble Pairs" was a memory matching game. You turn over two tiles at a time to reveal their pictures and try to match pairs. "Purble Shop" was a logic-and-deduction game. Apparently, this one was about trying to work out the hidden character's appearance by guessing different combinations of eyes, noses, mouths, and other features.

I did say this was the most uncool Video Games quiz on FunTrivia.

Answer: Chess Titans

"Chess Titans" gave Vista users a 3D chessboard with detailed pieces, animated movements, and multiple piece designs. Looking at a screenshot of it, I can confirm that it definitely looks like chess. You could play against another human taking turns at the same computer, or choose a computer opponent with ten different difficulty levels.

It went on to Windows 7, where it made its last appearance as Microsoft began moving toward more online content.

Answer: Mahjong Titans

The game was called "Mahjong Titans", and you know the drill. You're given a layered arrangement of tiles and pick off available matching pairs until the entire board is cleared. The game included six different layouts for your entertainment and a fresh and exciting mahjong experience every time.

Despite the name, "Mahjong Titans" wasn't the traditional Chinese four-player mahjong game, which has a very different set of rules.

Answer: Microsoft Solitaire Collection

By Windows 10, people didn't want to hunt around for games. The "Microsoft Solitaire Collection" first appeared in the Windows Store with Windows 8, solving that horrible problem. Klondike? Check. Spider? Check. FreeCell, TriPeaks, and Pyramid? Check, check, and check. It featured daily challenges, achievements, leaderboards, and even Xbox Live integration. It was one-stop shopping for all your time-killing needs.

And I hope you enjoyed killing time with me on this quiz. I, for one, will never forget struggling to figure out how to make a cake in a game meant for young children.