Solavantage Newsletter #5
Hello Solavant players!
After a little time off, I've now started working on Solavant 2.0. Several new things will be added in this upcoming version, many of them suggested by players. There's still plenty of time to make your own feature and game requests. Write and tell me your ideas! Note that version 2.0 will be free for existing customers like all other upgrades.
– Tom Cain, Smallware
Featured game - Eight Off
Eight Off is a good strategic puzzle game where all cards are visible in the initial deal, which allows for lots of planning. Most deals are winnable. It is similar to the better-known game Free Cell.
The rules are not complex. The 4 foundations are built upward in suit, the 8 tableau columns are built downward in suit, and single cards may be moved into the 8 reserve spaces.
Eight Off strategy
Planning ahead is key to winning Eight Off. You will be moving cards into reserves and back out to the tableau often. Select the cards to move back and forth carefully while thinking ahead several moves.
Getting all 4 Aces into foundations looks like a primary goal, but it isn't as important as in other games. It is better to concentrate instead on one suit at a time. Try building one foundation in suit as far as you can, then switch your efforts to a new foundation. You will need to watch the reserve spaces with this single-suit strategy, however. If you use them all to free up cards for a foundation, you must be able to move cards back into the tableau or the game will likely block.
Note that only Kings may be moved into empty tableau spaces, so there isn't any advantage to freeing up a column other than to move a King.
Final Eight Off thoughts
Most Eight Off deals are winnable with good play. Even if an initial deal looks impossible at first glance, you should still try some moves to see if you can get one foundation going. It's likely that you can unlock the puzzle once you've got a few cards out of the way.
Random Solavant tip
You can't see the rules if you play with the Solavant window maximized to fit the entire screen. To see the rules, open the Rules Drawer before maximizing the window. If the window is already maximized, click the Rules Drawer toolbar button once to open it then maximize the window again. Both of these will maximize the window with the Rules Drawer showing.
