Basic Windows XP Games

Hearts is one of several card games that come preinstalled on Windows XP computers. Computer hearts is played exactly the same as a standard game of hearts, except that the other three players are controlled by the computer. The computer will deal you a hand of 13 cards and you must choose 3 cards to pass. The goal of the game is to avoid taking points. Each heart is worth one point and the queen of spades is worth 13 points. Once a player reaches 100 points the game ends and the player with the fewest total points wins.

Pinball is a default Windows XP game that allows players to play a digital pinball game similar to arcade pinball games that use a metal ball. The goal of pinball is to accumulate as many points as possible while using the flippers at the bottom of the pinball window to hit the ball. If the ball falls beyond the flippers you will lose a ball.

Solitaire is another card game built into Windows XP. The Windows Solitaire game is the same as standard solitaire played with a deck of cards. You are dealt seven stacks of cards and must arrange the cards in order: two, three, four etc. The cards must be in alternating color order. Aces are placed in one of the four home stacks; the goal is to eventually to complete all four home four stacks composed of the 13 cards each of each suit. FreeCell and Spider Solitaire are two other solitaire variants available on Windows XP.

Minesweeper is a default game in Windows XP that has no real world inspiration. Minesweeper consists of a grid of covered boxes, which contain mines, numbers and blank space. Clicking on a space will reveal what is under it. The number on a numbered box indicates how many mines are either adjacent or diagonal to the space. You must use the numbered boxes to determine where the mines are located and left click on all these paces that do not contain mines while marking mine spaces with the right mouse button. If you left click on a mine the game ends in failure. If you click on all the spaces that are not mines and mark all the mines with the right mouse button you win the game.