PopCap to Launch Solitaire Blitz in March ~ THEGAMETECH

PopCap, has announced another big offering for one of their most popular franchises. The Blitz series is about to get Solitaire Blitz, to launch on Facebook this March. The company has promised it will be as “un-solitary” as possible, following the design tweak that has gone along with Zuma Blitz and Bejeweled Blitz.

The game will be getting a small beta launch and then full release by early March. EA no doubt hopes this will continue to fuel their digital growth - the publisher just recently announced that it hit the $1 billion digital sales milestone over the last year.

How to Play Solitaire Blitz

The Basics

Solitaire Blitz starts with two full decks of cards being shuffled and dealt out to form seven stacks (totalling 67 cards), plus one draw pile (41 cards). At the start of the game, the top card of the draw pile is turned over to form a build pile, and the clock starts.

You have one minute to move the cards from all 7 stacks onto the build pile(s). Suits and colors don't matter, only the rank of the card. You can play any card from a stack onto the build pile, as long as it’s exactly one higher or one lower than the card that’s already there. Aces can be high or low, so they are playable on both Kings and Twos and form a bridge between those cards. Jokers can play on anything.

At any time – but especially if you get stuck with no other legal moves – you can return to the draw pile to deal fresh cards onto the build pile(s). Just be careful. You can only go through the deck once, so it can easily run out.

The game ends when you run out of moves, run out of time, or win by clearing all the cards. No matter whether you win or lose the game, if you clear all of the cards from a stack, you get to pick up the treasure at the bottom of it. Good luck!

Advanced Play

Beating the clock is the biggest challenge in Solitaire Blitz. To earn extra time, clear the cards from every stack down to the depth of the next Time Line.

There are four Time Lines in each hand, and each one you uncover adds an extra 20 seconds to the clock.

Making long runs is critical for getting a good score in Solitaire Blitz. A run refers to any two or more cards you play successfully in a row without drawing from the deck or attempting an "illegal" play. Illegal plays occur when you click on a card that cannot be placed anywhere. As the length of your run increases, each card scores a higher number of points than the one before. As your run continues, every 10 cards earns you a permanent multiplier, heralded by one of the sign-carrying fish. Even if you break your run, that multiplier lasts for the rest of the hand.

To start your game off strong and build up speed to get runs going, look for the Key Cards that unlock extra build piles. Two Key Cards are randomly dealt into the stacks in every hand. These Key Cards can be identified by a ribbon slipped over the bottom right edge of the cards. Once played, the Key Card will unlock the next available build pile and deal a card onto it, giving you more potential moves.

When multiple build piles are available, a card played from the stacks goes left-to-right through the build piles, looking for a match. If you have a card that could be played on more than one of the build piles, it will land on the first available from left-to-right. There is no way to select which pile it lands on. A Joker will always land on the first build pile.

Tips and Tricks

How do you get a high score in Solitaire Blitz? Simple! Play fast and make long runs! But everyone approaches this goal a little differently. Here are a few tips to consider:

Try to make the longest runs possible to get the highest score. Before picking a card, look ahead to the second and third card you might play on it. Sometimes, picking a different starting card can result in a longer run. Of course, the “long run” strategy comes at the risk of taking too much time.
Try to play as quickly as possible, to beat the time limit and get the most bonus points at the end. Some players imagine a metronome ticking away, and try to play cards as fast as it beats. Others play in quick bursts. While this strategy increases your risk of illegal plays, practicing at “playing fast” can help improve your game over time.
Aim for the Key Cards first, to maximize the number of options you have for the rest of the game. You often find yourself with two or three alternative cards. If one of them helps you uncover a Key Card, choose that card first.
Choose cards from deeper stacks over shallower ones and try not to empty any of your stacks too quickly. This way, you have more options and won’t get stuck with one tall stack at the end. Keeping the stacks “balanced” in this way not only gives you a better chance of clearing them, it also helps you uncover Time Lines. Of course, this strategy comes at the risk of finding less treasure.
Collect rare items to get the most silver. If you see a hint of that telltale glow in the dirt before the deal, aim for it instead of the other stacks. It’s probably worth more silver, which will help you buy boosts in future games.

via PopCap