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# staying power
One man has kept Apple's answer to Solitaire alive for 32 years
It’s been updated to run on every Apple computer since the original Macintosh was released in 1984.
OF THE MANY things you associate with Microsoft Windows, probably one of the most noticeable inclusions would be the game Solitaire.
A simple game that has been around since Windows 3.1, the 26-year-old game was developed by a then-intern for Windows 3.0 and was even included as a way of teaching people the skills needed for PCs.
What you might not know is the point-and-click version of Solitaire for Apple computers, called Klondike, has been around for much longer.
Brought up in a Reddit thread discussing the game, the original Klondike was released for the Macintosh 128k back in 1984, 32 years ago, making it the first computer Solitaire game.
The game wasn’t an official Apple title. Instead, it was released as shareware. Back in 1984, Casteel was originally a business software developer, but when the first Macintosh was announced, he decided to build a game.
He told The Register ”With the announcement of the Mac, it seemed the age of the personal computer had really arrived… It was clear they were going to make inroads in the home and we thought maybe we should get into it.”
Many other versions of Klondike have been released since then – including iPhone and iPod Touch, and they’ve been all developed and updated by the same person, Michael Casteel.
The game is still available to download on Macs as shareware or through the Apple Mac Store for €9.99. While you can download it for free and you can share it with friends, Casteel does ask for a shareware payment of $10 (€8.95) for playing it.
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