Monte Carlo/Nine/Девятка (Gamos, 1993)

A card game on computer — perfect for when you don't want to look at the keyboard and your thoughts are wandering everywhere. Monte Carlo from 1993 is like a quiet friend you take along when you have a spare moment at work and all the other games are too loud.

It's a solitaire with ninety cards. Your goal? Collect pairs and lower cards until only a nine remains on the table — ideally by itself. The flow is simple: cards turn over gradually, you stack them into piles and try to remove lower values. The more you control what's where and what should happen, the better. This isn't about luck — it's about seeing ahead and planning.

Graphics? You could sum it up as "green table and cards in ASCII form". No flourish, no animation, no sound. Matches last a few minutes. Nothing happens between turns, decorations don't spin, cards don't curl — you just press a number or choose a move with your mouse and move on. It's almost too straightforward to be fun; it's more like a puzzle you solve mechanically.

In the nineties, these things were sold as collectible little games in bundles — Gamos had several similar titles. Monte Carlo is definitely the least interesting one I've ever seen. It doesn't grab you, doesn't stir emotions or impressions. I remember Klondike solitaire, which had at least something extra; this is just bare rules without substance.

It'll only be interesting for someone who wants a truly scientific solitaire without bells and whistles — without graphic decorations, without frills, without music. Pure card algorithm. You can play it in your browser for a while, maybe try it when you have fifty seconds to spare and want to play something with no pretense of being fun.