The Windows Store has plenty of classic games that can be enjoyable time-wasters. Those include board games and cards games. These games often take a casual approach, for a friendly game against friends or a challenge against the computer.
Classic games are reliable, go-to games, and many have been around for ages. These are games that you would seek out on a rainy afternoon, while coping with long waits at doctor's office, or in any other situation where you are in the mood for a challenging, low-impact game. The Store is packed full of classic games such as Ludo Blitz, Alpha Jax and Fairway Solitaire. It was tough to narrow things down to just a few titles, but these are our picks for the best classic games for Windows 10.
UNO and Friends
UNO and Friends is an online, multiplayer, Xbox Live rendition of the game based on the classic card game of Crazy Eights. Each player is dealt a hand of cards and must discard them to a center stack, matching the previous card's color or value. If you do not have a playable card, you must draw an additional card from the stack. The goal is to be the first player to discard all your cards.
To add to the challenge of the game, Uno has several action cards that can cause players to draw extra cards, reverse the order of play, switch the color of the cards in play, and more. Additional gaming features include:
- Customizable backgrounds, card deck designs, profile images and more.
- Global leaderboards.
- Daily and limited-time tournaments.
- Six game boosts to help give you an advantage over the stiff competition.
You can log into Uno and Friends with your Facebook or Microsoft account, which allows you to synchronize gameplay between Windows 10 devices. Matches only last a few minutes, but they are addictive. This makes UNO and Friends a great option for short periods of time or when you are in the mood to spend longer bits of time gaming.
Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, the free game includes several in-app purchase opportunities. Overall, UNO and Friends is a fantastic game to spend a little down time with.
Download UNO and Friends from the Windows Store (PC version)
Download UNO and Friends from the Windows Store (Mobile version)
Yatzy Free
Yatzy Free is an online version of the classic dice game, in which you compete against others to see who can roll the most points. The Windows 10 game supports both online and local games that include three difficulty levels and three game modes.
Games are two-player in style and follow the classic rules of [Yatzy]. You can create a game account using your Game.IO, Facebook or Microsoft accounts. You can play Yatzy Free as a guest, but creating an account allows you to synchronize gaming progress between Windows 10 devices.
Gameplay moves along quickly, with games lasting in the neighborhood of five minutes. Player turns are timed to avoid lengthy delays. Having the ability to play online or in pass-and-play fashion allows Yatzy Free to be a fun solo game or a game to challenge your buddies with.
The free, ad-supported game is available for Windows 10 Mobile and PC. It is an addictive and challenging game, and overall, Yatzy Free is a fun rendition of the classic dice-rolling game.
Download Yatzy Free from the Windows Store
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
The Microsoft Solitaire Collection is a Windows 10 game that delivers a boatload of solitaire gaming to your Windows 10 device. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, the free game delivers five game modes, daily challenges and Xbox Live integration.
Game modes include:
- Klondike — This is the timeless classic that is often referred to as "Solitaire" in which you try to clear all the cards from the table using one or three card draws. This game mode uses either traditional or Vegas scoring.
- Spider — Here you have eight columns of cards to clear with the fewest moves possible.
- FreeCell — Use four extra cells to move playing cards around as you attempt to clear all the cards from the table.
- TriPeaks — Select cards in an ascending or descending sequence to earn points and clear the table.
- Pyramid — Pair two cards that add up to 13 in order to remove them from the table, in attempt to reach the top of the pyramid. The goal is to clear as many boards as possible, scoring the most points in the process.
Microsoft Solitaire Collection offers several theme choices to help customize the game's appearance, and by signing in with your Microsoft account gameplay is synchronized between Windows 10 devices. If you like games that test your skills at strategy and observation in a casual style, it is hard to go wrong with Microsoft Solitaire Collection.
Download Microsoft Solitaire Collection from the Windows Store
Taptiles
Taptiles is a matching-puzzle game designed in the tradition of the classic Mahjong puzzle games in which you must remove all the tiles from the table by finding matching pairs. Tap Tiles takes this concept to a 3D level where the collection of tiles can be rotated to find pairs.
The free game is available for Windows 10 PC and delivers three challenging game modes, daily challenges and several Xbox achievements to earn. Additionally, by signing in with your Microsoft account, you can pause gameplay on one Windows 10 PC device and resume on another Windows 10 PC. This allows you to play Taptiles on the go from your tablet and pick things up from your laptop when you get to the house.
The three game modes include:
- Dash mode — Race the clock to clear all the tiles from the table. Earn extra time as you create matches and challenge yourself to clear as many puzzles before game time expires.
- Origins mode — This mode delivers a larger and more challenging puzzle to clear than you find in the Dash mode. On the plus side, you are afforded more time to clear each puzzle.
- Relaxation mode — This is an untimed mode that is perfect for when you want a more casual game experience.
Taptiles includes several puzzle layout collections, and as you progress in the timed modes, additional tile styles come into play. Tapping on two identical tiles creates the match and removes the tiles. Just keep in mind that only tiles on the corners and edges of the puzzle can be used in a match.
Overall, Taptiles is an entertaining game to spend a little down time with. Gameplay offers a challenging difficulty level to exercise your brain and test your skills at strategy, observation and speed.
Download Taptiles from the Windows Store
If you've tried any of these games, let us know your thoughts in the comments. And if we overlooked your favorite classic game for Windows 10, drop us a recommendation.