Is Cluj the worst solitaire?

[professor camp]

I've now gone through and won at least 10 games of every solitaire, except for Cluj. I'm trying to figure out if I hate it because I suck at it (which I do), or if it's because it's actually not a very good game. It seems like a significantly harder version of Proletariat’s Patience, but without being correspondingly more rewarding. I don't mind hard if it's worth it. Like Fortune’s Foundation is by far my favorite solitaire. And the rest of them are good too. Except Cluj?

[Czar]

Originally posted by DwarfGdL:

Originally posted by AlphaLeaf:

I played Cluj way too much in Molek-Syntez just because I couldn't be bothered actually playing the game, and it has gotten to the point I'd reset even without using the "cheat" rule. Probably for that one purist achievement.

Now, Cribbage on the other hand, that I don't understand. All the games in this collection are just about clearing the board, but this one is about specifically clearing the board and you lose if you didn't do it right enough. I'm not salty because I was one point off...I am very salty.

Check this thread out for tips on Cribbage:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1988540/discussions/0/3489753174656990604/

That's about fortune's foundation.

[professor camp]

I finally got 10 wins in Cluj, and the game is starting to make more sense to me. It's not bad.

[Tricks]

Since I see several people saying cribbage is the worst, I thought I'd add that it's my favourite variant. Just in case the dev thinks no one likes it & removes it or something

Cribbage was the main reason I bought the pack, that and to access a couple variants I hadn't tried. In Mobius I played cribbage more than the actual game 😅

To me it's fun figuring out paths to extract the most combo points. if you imagine the score target is the HP of a boss then In a way it has the feel of a card battle game. I don't play Hearthstone or anything, but did enjoy Slay the Spire where you have to tactically use cards to defeat enemies.

[elidoran]

I had a hard time liking Cluj at first for two reasons: 1. its black and white style bores me; and, 2. I thought it was strange with the TKDV. After completing 200+ wins for both achievements (molek-syntez and their solitaire collection) I finally became good at it and I like it a lot more. I still wish there was a configurable option to give it a pretty style.

I think one thing which helps is to avoid clearing a stack for as long as possible so I can put another card on there temporarily (a cheat move). I usually have one or more stacks all the way from T to 7 just waiting for a 6.

Lastly, there's often some number which is hard to get to so I look for it at the start so I know what to base my overall moves on: get to those problematic ones. For example, if a whole bunch of V cards are at the tops of the stacks, or in only one or two stacks, then the V is going to be a problem. So, i prioritize uncovering them.

Also, it is possible to beat it without a cheat move. It's just more difficult and happens less often.

And, I think the Cribbage is pretty good. I like its style and memorizing the good combos makes the gameplay smooth.

[professor camp]

Now that I've gotten 100 wins on every game except Proletariat’s Patience, my perspective has changed. I put Cluj and Proletariat’s Patience into the same category, mostly based on them using the same deck. Between the two, Proletariat’s Patience is more fun for the first few games, owing to sticking to a fairly standard solitaire template. However, after a lot of games Cluj is definitely more fun. Figuring out how to do just the right amount of cheating gives a rewarding hit of feeling clever. In contrast, there's a reason why I haven't gotten 100 wins in Proletariat’s Patience yet, it's the first game that feels like a slog after, say, the first 20 wins.

To echo what other commenters said, Cribbage is good, actually. It's off-putting at first because it is so different from the other games, but if you stick with it, it's worth it. Once you figure out how to get mega combo points, like creating long runs in a seemingly non-linear, chatoic order, then mixing in a 15 or 31 or trips or whatever, it's really rewarding.

This is just my personal ranking, now that I'm close to 100%'ing the game:

1. Fortune’s Foundation - obviously
   
2. Shenzhen Solitaire - it's got the feel of a timeless solitaire, with just the right amount of twist to distinguish it from classic solitaires
   
3. Cribbage Solitaire - surprisingly good as described above
   
4. Sigmar’s Garden - aesthetically satisfying, plus different in a good way
   
5. Cluj - I thought this was the worst, but actually it's middle of the pack
   
6. Sawayama Solitaire - fun, but it's basically Klondike, plus too random in not a good way
   
7. Kabufuda Solitaire - mostly about learning to read the cards; ironically it gets easier at the highest difficulty because the possible moves are more obviously constrained
   
8. Proletariat’s Patience - good introduction to the Russian deck, but if you're going for 100 wins this is disappointing compared to Cluj

[CupCupBaconBox]

Cluj feels like you need either a really high spacial IQ to see many moves ahead, or you derp your way to a lucky RNG victory with the right guesses.

[Metamorf]

Originally posted by CupCupBaconBox:

Cluj feels like you need either a really high spacial IQ to see many moves ahead, or you derp your way to a lucky RNG victory with the right guesses.

I suppose I have to count myself in the former. At the beginning of the puzzle, there is not an apparent solution. My process which usually finds a solution is to see pathway(s) to a more solvable state. It's the same for Proletariat's Patience.

[johntb24]

I'm glad to see I am not the only one struggling to enjoy Cluj. I have every other achievement except the 100 Cluj wins. As some of the other people have said, Cribbage is really not that bad, and I personally love the aircraft deck.

If I was to set a ranking, it would go like:
Sawayama (I love Klondike style solitaire, even as inconsistent as it is)
Fortune (Skeptical at first, then fell in love with it)
Cribbage (Reminds me of playing it with my dad, and the deck is great)
Kabufuda (Peaceful yet tactful. Some of the cards are a bit too similar though and trip me up)
Shenzen (Great solitaire, easy to understand and is almost always a win for me anymore)
Sigmar (Unique and fun, but I have to be in the right mindset)
Proletariat (Feels very samey between plays compared to other games, win sound is obnoxious)
Cluj (Gives me a slight headache thinking about my moves, the lack of music makes it uncomfortable to play long)

[PrettzL]

Fortune's Foundation is easily the worst of the lot. I'll have Cribbage and Cluj finished long before I even get to 10 games of FF.

[elidoran]

Fortune's Foundation takes some time to figure out how to play it. Once I did, it became my favorite by far. I play it far more often than the others these days. At first, I swore at it a lot.
There are moves which are helpful to play and, of course, they're not so obvious at first.

[PegasusJF]

When i first played Cluj in it's host game (Molek-Syntez) I had a heck of a time winning at first, but I got the hang of it (mostly). I am fond of each of the solitare games save FF. I just haven't figured it out yet.

[CycoKillah aka Ol´Dirty Bastard]

In Cluj do not close decks until you almost finish it. This way you have more slots to put cards, so if its necesary move a 6 (from a full deck) to other slot before you put a complete deck on a free slot.
FF is the harder by far. An early bad move could be gameover and you realize several moves later.
For those who have trouble with Cribbage, go for straight and 3 of a kind. Pairs should be your last choice. Sometimes you need a 0 points stack to trigger frenzy next. With low straight you can get a lot of points if you play cards well like 3-4-5-4-3. Other example 7-8-9-7 you get points for 2 straight and 15 & 31 points bonus aswell.