Back in the day before smartphones, you’d have to carry a deck of cards in order to play solitaire. You’d arrange the cards in neat rows on a table or floor, one by one, before playing against the random draw of the deck. In order to win, you’d need to get rid of all your cards. A not-so-good deck means you’d have to shuffle the cards and play again.
While the onset of smartphones and mobile games has evolved into creative renditions of this classic game, the objective has remained unchanged. The first is to get rid of your cards by positioning them in sequential order and by suit, from ace to king.
Belka Games’ newest title, Solitaire Cruise, delivers a fresh take on solitaire with unique card arrangements that unlock various coins and prizes. The cards are set against a picturesque ocean beach backdrop with cruise ships in the distance.
Solitaire Cruise features a solitaire puzzle. Complete a variety of solitaire puzzles to collect as many stars as possible to sail across the globe.
The cards are arranged on the screen so you can pick and choose which cards to drop into the main pile. However, unlike the traditional version of solitaire, you choose a card that corresponds to a lower or higher card, rather than choosing a card that’s always descending.
For example, in Solitaire Cruise, if there’s a queen, you can either choose a king or jack to stack on top of the queen. Of course, those specific cards need to be on the screen for you to choose from.
The game is straightforward and simple, and if you ever get stuck, Solitaire Cruise does a great job of sharing interactive hints and showing you recommendations of what to do next.
Some cards have coins attached to them, and there’s also a special wild card to help you get unstuck, in the event you run out of cards.
With each passing level, you can unlock and visit iconic beaches and cities. The soothing sounds effects from collecting stars and relaxing game music will get you motivated as you set sail across the globe.
There is also a prize wheel that lets you spin for rewards and fill your chest with new treasures.
You can earn even more if you collect gems in tournaments. This adds variety to the game and allows you to play against other players.
Belka is known for its iconic squirrel logo (Belka means squirrel in Russian) and for making really enticing and high-quality games. The studio made two of the top 100 grossing games on the market with Funky Bay and Clockmaker.
The company, which was founded a decade ago, is thriving—they recently hired more than 100 people, so watch out for more games from their talented team.
In the meantime, Solitaire Cruise is available both on Android and iOS. Download it today and invite your friends to jump on board.
Interested in making your first game but aren’t sure where to start? Watch our App Hacks video series with AppLovin’s Head of Games, Keith Kawahata, who walks you through a checklist (part one) and user engagement and marketability (part two).
