My fidget box of solitaire games

Pretty much since the get go in my gaming, I have always had a game in my bag or coat pocket. Truth to tell, that’s actually how I started with the travel version of Catan and the Hip Pocket line. 

And PnP has become a part of that. My travel bag of stuff for the preschooler has a copy of Bonsai Samurai and a laminated paper copy of Hive, just in case I need a game. (It’s never happened but IT MIGHT) 

However, I’ve gone a step further by making a tiny case of solitaire games. One that doesn’t live in my bag but is easy to throw in at a moment’s notice. The goal is to have games with minimal footprint and minimal playing time easily on hand at any time. It’s basically a fidget box.

It has a rotating content but Elevenses For One and Murderer’s Row seem to have a permanent place in it. To be fair, both of those games are kind of my gold standard for minimalist solitaire games. Plus, I can play Murderer’s Row splayed in my hand and I could finagle a way to do the same with Elevenses For One if I wanted to.

The prototypes for Akur-Gal and I Am Lynx (nine card version) are also currently in the case. Honestly, since the eighteen card version of I Am Lynx will probably fire the nine card version, the fidget box will be the only use I have the nine card version. Tiny, quick game that’s played all in one hand. That’s perfect for the fidget box.

I have to admit that I feel like I’m embracing a weird ideal for games with the fidget box. I’ve filled it with such slight games. My taste in solitaire games leans toward shorter games that are easy to get on the table. By the very nature of the fidget box, that pushes that to the extreme.

(Well, Elevenses for One has enough meat on it that it is still a choice when I have more time to play a game)

On the other hand, the fidget box has seen a lot of use for me. It fits a very, very specific niche but it’s a niche that fits my needs right now.