Set up your pyramid by dealing one card face up, then two cards overlapping that one card, and so on until you have seven rows. There's something pleasing about its arrangement, not to mention it's far easier to make a 2D pyramid flat on the table than it is to make a 3D one. If you want to keep playing, there's a variant where you can switch your fourth king for any other card that is still face down on the table. Admittedly, this game is more chance than skill, but it's still fun.

It sounds simple enough, but the twist is if you turn up four kings in your centre pile before you've revealed the other cards on the table, you lose because there won't be any more cards to turn up. Then move that card to its corresponding pile and keep going until you can't make any more moves. (Aces represent one o'clock, jacks are 11 o'clock, queens are 12 o'clock, and kings go in a second pile in the centre, face up.) After you've moved the first card, turn over the top card of the stack you moved it to. Start the game by turning over the top card in the centre pile and put it under the hour pile that corresponds to its rank. Twelve of those piles go in a circular pattern that lines up with the hour markers on a clock face, and the 13th pile goes in the middle of the circle. To start the game, deal yourself 13 piles of four cards. The objective is to turn all the cards on the table face up. The format makes it feel like a race against time, even though time really doesn't figure into the game beyond the layout. Its simplicity and quick play time makes it a good choice if you only have a few moments to yourself. This was my favourite solo game as a kid. I originally decided to learn these two because I liked the way they looked on my table, which is reason enough if you're playing alone. I like card games that feel like stories or games that at least have an evocative setup.

It includes fun layouts, challenging games, solo versions of multi-player games and the best games for kids. It's popular for a reason, tried and tested over the centuries, but if you're looking for new games for one person with a 52-card deck, this list is for you. The most famous of these games is, of course, solitaire (or patience), which you can play on your phone or computer nowadays. When I was growing up, I didn't always have an opponent handy and I whiled away many an hour playing cards by myself. While that might be the prevailing image, there are plenty of games you can play if you're short on company. Most people likely think of card games as a social activity to be done with friends.

Golf cardgame