What Solitaired does

Solitaired is a free, web-based casual gaming platform offering more than 500 card games and word puzzles, founded in 2019 by Darshan Somashekar and Neal Taparia and operated through their legal entity Unwind Media. The product spans classic solitaire variants (Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks, Forty Thieves, Yukon, etc.), word puzzles (Word Hurdle, Phrazle, Clue Hurdle, WordFlower, Crossword), and multiplayer card games (Hearts, Spades, Bridge, Euchre, Cribbage, Gin Rummy). The technology is built on an HTML5/CSS/JavaScript frontend delivered via Amazon CloudFront CDN, with a native Android app on Google Play and no iOS app; the site is localized into 22 languages. Proprietary features include an algorithmically verified "Winnable" mode, a Game of the Day engagement loop, customizable cards and themes, achievements and badges, and — most distinctively — a Cognitive Score feature developed with UCLA CRESST that predicts cognitive function from gameplay telemetry.

The business model is purely advertising-funded: all games and features are free with no registration required, and revenue is generated through Google Ad Manager, Google AdSense, Amazon Ads, Criteo, and a stack of programmatic SSPs (Prebid, Magnite, OpenX, Pubmatic, Triple Lift, Xandr), augmented by identity resolution providers (ID5, LiveRamp, Trade Desk UID) for targeted advertising. The go-to-market is product-led, relying on SEO across 500+ indexed game pages, organic social channels (TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo), and word-of-mouth rather than paid acquisition. Customer segments are primarily casual gamers seeking free entertainment, with a secondary emerging segment of older adults and brain-training enthusiasts drawn by the cognitive assessment positioning. The company is bootstrapped by its two co-founders, who previously scaled EasyBib to 40 million annual users and sold it to Chegg in 2016.

Name

Solitaired

Legal name

Unwind Media

Website

https://solitaired.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Solitaired is a free, ad-supported online gaming platform offering 500+ card and word games across 22 languages, founded in 2019 and operated as a bootstrapped two-person company. It serves casual gamers globally and is developing a cognitive assessment feature validated by UCLA CRESST research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: The platform is free to use and generates revenue through advertising. Multiple ad networks are integrated including Google Ad Manager, Google AdSense, Amazon Ads, Criteo, and various programmatic ad exchanges (Prebid, Magnite, OpenX, Pubmatic, Triple Lift, Xandr). The site also uses identity resolution providers (ID5, LiveRamp, Trade Desk UID) for targeted advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Solitaired operates a free, web-based gaming platform offering over 500 browser-playable card games, solitaire variants, word puzzles, and casual games. The platform is accessible via desktop, mobile web, and an Android app, with no registration required to play. Core offerings include classic Solitaire (Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks, Yukon, Forty Thieves), multiplayer card games (Hearts, Spades, Bridge, Euchre), word games (Word Hurdle, Phrazle, Clue Hurdle, WordSearch, WordFlower, Crossword), and brain-training features including Performance Analytics and a cognitive scoring tool developed with UCLA CRESST.

Product overview

Solitaired is a free web-based gaming platform offering over 500 card games, word puzzles, and board games. The core product portfolio includes classic Solitaire variants (Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks, Yukon, Forty Thieves) and word games (Word Hurdle, Phrazle, Clue Hurdle, Crossword, WordSearch, WordFlower), plus multiplayer card games (Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Bridge, Cribbage, Gin Rummy). The platform operates on a free-to-play model with no registration required. Premium features include Performance Analytics for tracking game progress and a Cognitive Scoring feature developed in partnership with UCLA CRESST to predict cognitive acuity from gameplay. The platform is accessible via web browser, Android mobile app, and supports 20+ languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solitaired Gaming Platform Web-based platform offering over 500 free card games, word puzzles, and casual games accessible via desktop browser, mobile web, and Android app. Targets casual gamers seeking free entertainment with no registration required.
• Solitaired Mobile App (Android) Android application version of the Solitaired gaming platform, enabling mobile-first access to the full library of card and word games.
• Performance Analytics Feature enabling players to track their gameplay performance over time, including win rate, score, game time, and number of moves with trailing averages for self-improvement.
• Cognitive Scoring Feature Feature that predicts cognitive function scores based on Solitaire gameplay metrics (time per move, moves made, hint/undo usage) developed in partnership with UCLA CRESST and Lyons Assessment Consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33% win rate for Turn 1 Solitaire (based on 2,898,974 random games)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UCLA CRESSTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Academic research partnership to study whether playing Solitaire on Solitaired can measure cognitive acuity. Over 4,000 users participated by playing Game of the Day and completing brain tests from The Many Brains Project. Researchers analyzed gameplay metrics (time per move, moves made, hint/undo usage, age) to predict cognitive function measures including processing speed, working memory, and visual memory.
• Lyons Assessment ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with UCLA CRESST researchers and Solitaired to design and conduct the cognitive assessment study using Solitaire gameplay data.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 247Solitaire: 247Solitaire is a long-established free online Solitaire site offering Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, and dozens of other card game variants via web browser with ad-supported monetization. It competes head-to-head with Solitaired for the same casual gamer search traffic and ad revenue pool.
• Arkadium: Arkadium operates a portfolio of free online casual games including Solitaire, Mahjong, and card games, monetized via advertising and partnerships with major publishers. It is one of the most directly comparable free-to-play card and casual game platforms in the same ad-supported model.
• World of Solitaire: World of Solitaire is a free web-based Solitaire platform featuring 50+ solitaire variants playable in browser. It targets the same casual gamer audience with an ad-supported model and competes directly for SEO traffic on solitaire-related search queries.
• MobilityWare: MobilityWare is one of the largest mobile Solitaire publishers, with apps including Solitaire, FreeCell, Spider, and Pyramid on both iOS and Android. It competes with Solitaired's Android app and represents the mobile-native competitive threat Solitaired has yet to fully address via iOS.
• Brainium: Brainium (now part of Scopely) develops popular mobile Solitaire apps including Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, and FreeCell across iOS and Android. It is a direct competitor in mobile casual card games and shares Solitaired's focus on polished single-player card game UX.
• Solitr: Solitr is a free online Solitaire and card games site with ad-supported monetization and similar browser-based gameplay. It targets the same casual gamer persona and competes for SEO traffic and ad inventory in the free online solitaire category.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Microsoft's bundled Solitaire Collection (Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks) ships with Windows and is offered across mobile and web. It is a broad incumbent with massive distribution advantages rather than a niche specialist, but directly competes for casual solitaire gameplay time.
• Pogo.com: Pogo.com is Electronic Arts' free online casual games hub offering Solitaire, word games, board games, and card games with ad-supported monetization. It is a broader incumbent whose portfolio directly overlaps with Solitaired's core card and word game offerings.
• King Digital Entertainment: King is the casual mobile gaming giant behind Candy Crush and a broad portfolio of free-to-play games. As a broad incumbent with massive mobile distribution and ad expertise, King represents both a competitive threat and a potential acquirer for casual card game platforms.

Others

• The New York Times Games: NYT Games operates Wordle, the Crossword, Connections, and other daily word puzzles acquired and grown rapidly into a major subscriber funnel. While not a Solitaire competitor, it is the dominant premium destination for daily word puzzles—the adjacent category where Solitaired has placed Word Hurdle, Phrazle, and WordFlower.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solitairedapp
• YouTubevimeo.com/solitaired
• Facebookfacebook.com/solitairedapp
• TikToktiktok.com/@solitairedapp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-unwind

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solitaired