Churchill Solitaire

Ive been playing since this dropped. Almost 2mm points, 4000 games won etc. that includes me uninstalling it for at least 3 years. I can play for hours. It’s engaging as a game. The fonts and cards have changed a few times (inexplicably). As of Sept 2023, they are legible. If the cards dip below the horizon, you will never be able to see them again. So remember strategically, dont let that happen. The app team is non responsive. Need help, don’t ask them. Curious about scoring? ditto, forget it. Even if you play the same game over and over, every time is a different score. The scoring is correlated with time to finish, but once at a higher level, only weakly correlated. Ive tested several games by playing them different ways getting different times. Same exact game (theyre numbered) but moving things around differently. So for example, finished number 11 in 5:30, get one score, finished it a different day in 6:20, and got a higher score?! Baffling. Same cards, same deck etc so the only difference was me being slower or less optimal. The points gained for the base game (before bonus points) are different each play. Never mind the bonus points. I havent even tried to decipher those. I play for fun or distraction.

I’ve played this game EVERY DAY since it came out. I’ve enjoyed it immensely; I work my way through all the games, in all the levels, then I go backwards, then I start again. And each time I win a few more games. I’ve never had a game that could hold my interest or challenge me the way this game has. I’ve even put up with the unbeatable levels where cards are buried behind others at the top...and assumed I just need to figure out some way to work the game. Now, finally, an update comes along. But it’s not really an update, it seems more like just a money-grab, honestly. Developers must’ve been sitting around thinking, “Ya know, we have this game, and people love it...but we aren’t making any money on it!”....or at least “not enough money on it”. I’m sorry, but too many other games have offered the whole “daily challenge” thing, which ends up being recycled games from the regular rotation, and then, after a while, they start repeating themselves, blah, blah, blah. My biggest gripe? Before the “upgrade”, I had EARNED access to EVERY LEVEL; after the “upgrade” I’m now restricted from four levels and expected to PAY for access to levels I’ve already played dozens of times and had already earned access to. That is neither right, nor fair. Even “Copperknob” would be disgusted by that...

There are two metrics in which a game can be objectively evaluated: implementation quality and how much fun (or entertaining) it is. Implementation quality is awful. Try and tap the cards for them to move. You will think you are trying a move that is not allowed. Besides, It lacks indispensable features. For example, it has no pause. You are playing against the clock and your dog asks you to go for a walk. Guess what? No pause. I will leave the lack of proper undo and hint for the other metric. How much fun is it? Not at all. Playing a game is something we do for fun. It is that break time we give ourselves. Playing this game? You’d better pay attention because you make a bad move, your undo will cost you. You are tired, want to play a game to relax a bit. You want to hit the deck but you are unsure you have done all moves you could. In a proper game, you ask for a hint. In this game you shouldn’t, it will cost you. Yes, instead of entertaining yourself, you have to worry about spending more money, probably one of the things you wanted to forget in the first place when you decided to play a game. Finally, have Churchill’s surviving family members really authorized to put his name on a game where money gets you promoted? Really? Is this Churchill’s model of climbing the military ranks? In this game, once you give them some money, you will get promoted. That’s a shame. Apple should not have approved this low quality rip-off scam of a game.