Featured Game: Wall Pairs

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Author Message Gregg Seelhoff (Seelhoff) Master Solitaire Player Username: Seelhoff Post Number: 224 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 11:07 am:    It seems pretty quiet around here since everybody is busy playing Pretty Good MahJongg rather than talking about it. Wall Pairs is one of the 55 solitaire and puzzle games featured in Pretty Good MahJongg 2.2 (not counting 200+ tile matching layouts). It is one of the 'wall type' games, in the Great Wall family, and an excellent puzzle game. For the benefit of those who have not played Wall Pairs yet, the rules of the game are simple. On a grid of colored tiles, click a pair of adjacent tiles of matching color and they are removed, leaving other tiles to drop into their place. The goal is to remove all of the tile pairs and empty the layout. Like many classic games and puzzles, the simplicity of the rules belies the challenge in winning. When one first plays the game it becomes apparent that it is harder to win than one might think, and it takes some contemplation. The beauty of Wall Pairs is that (like FreeCell solitaire) almost all games are winnable. Although it may look itimidating at first, with a little practice one can easily learn the skills necessary to win each game. The main strategy is to eliminate (or greatly reduce) certain colors, which generally makes the rest of the game easier. Grouping colors is usually beneficial, as is noting whether a color group contains an even or odd number of tiles. Once all colors but one are in even numbered groups, victory is assured. We have proven (through playing in climb mode) that at least the first 350 games of Wall Pairs are winnable, and I suspect that it may be a long time before somebody stumbles across an unwinnable deal. It may take lots of use of the 'Undo' feature, and maybe one or more restarts, but almost all deals are winnable. If you have not played Wall Pairs, or have not given it a fair shake, please try this game. Personally, I believe that it is an excellent way to keep ones mind limber and active. I try to play every day for my mental and intellectual health. Enjoy!