Microsoft planned to include games when developing
Windows 1.0 in 1983–1984. Pre-release versions of Windows 1.0 initially included another game,
Puzzle, but it was scrapped in favor of
Reversi, based on the
board game of the same name.
Reversi was included in Windows versions up to
Windows 3.1.
Solitaire was developed in 1988 by the
intern Wes Cherry. The card deck was designed by
Susan Kare, who was known for her icon designs for the original
Macintosh. Microsoft intended
Solitaire to "soothe people intimidated by the operating system," and at a time when many users were still unfamiliar with
graphical user interfaces, the game helped introduce them to using a
mouse, including the
drag-and-drop technique required to move cards. According to Microsoft
telemetry,
Solitaire was among the three most-used Windows programs and
FreeCell was seventh, ahead of productivity-based applications such as
Microsoft Word and
Excel. Lost business productivity from employees playing
Solitaire became a common concern because the game was included in Windows by default.
FreeCell was introduced as a bundled game in Windows NT 3.1. The game was available for Windows 3.1 because it was included in
Win32s installations to verify that the 32-bit
thunking layer had been installed correctly.
The Microsoft Hearts Network was included with
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 as a showcase for
NetDDE technology, allowing multiple players to play simultaneously across a
computer network. This technology led to the inclusion of several online multiplayer titles under the
Internet brand in
Windows Me,
XP, and
7, alongside other
online multiplayer titles. Support for
Internet games for Windows Me and XP ended on July 31, 2019, and for Windows 7 on January 22, 2020. In
Minesweeper for
Windows Vista and 7, the game includes an alternate "Flower Garden" style alongside the default "Minesweeper" style. This was due to controversy over the game's original
land mine theme, which was considered potentially insensitive; the "Flower Garden" style was used as the default theme in "sensitive areas". Several third-party games, such as
Candy Crush Saga and
Disney Magic Kingdoms, have been included as advertisements in the
Start menu in
Windows 10 and may also be installed automatically by the operating system. Windows 11 includes the
Xbox app, which allows users to access the
PC Game Pass video game
subscription service. Additionally, versions of the
Microsoft Edge browser from 2020 onward, bundled with Windows 10 and 11, include the
Surf game.
Microsoft Casual Games Beginning in 2012 with the release of
Windows 8, updated versions of previously bundled games were released under the
Microsoft Casual Games brand, along with several new games. Except for
Solitaire Collection, which is included in Windows 10 and
11, these games are not included with Windows and are instead available as free, ad-supported
downloads in
Microsoft Store. Premium monthly and annual subscriptions are available that remove advertisements and offer several gameplay benefits. Reviewers have criticized this as a way to "nickel and dime" users, because previous versions of
Solitaire and other bundled games did not include advertisements or paid subscriptions. The Windows games under the Microsoft Casual Games banner include: •
Solitaire Collection •
Minesweeper •
Mahjong •
Ultimate Word Games •
Treasure Hunt •
Sudoku •
Jigsaw == Included games ==