Absolute Solitaire — the boxed-software end of Mac card games Runs here
1999 · MacSoft / Varcon Systems · Mac OS 8 · SheepShaver (Power Macintosh 9500) · 800×600 at 8-bit colour
Guide updated September 2026
Where Solitaire Till Dawn came out of the shareware scene and Hardwood Solitaire out of a small studio, Absolute Solitaire came in a box — published by MacSoft from the Varcon Game Collection, with a phone number and an AOL keyword on the title screen.
This is the demo build, with DEMO printed across the title card in red. That is left exactly as it is, and it is the reason this one can be here at all.
Boots Mac OS 8.6 and opens Absolute Solitaire on its title card. Click through to the game menu.
Controls
| Mouse | Drag cards; double-click to send one home |
| Game menu | Choose a variant |
| Options menu | Rules, scoring and display |
| Cmd-Q | Quit to the Finder |
The demo build Varcon distributed free, with its own DEMO branding intact. The full version was sold. MacSoft's catalogue passed through WizardWorks and Infogrames; Varcon no longer trades and no current product contains this program.
Archives
- Internet Archive — the Tucows Macintosh archive copy this was built from.
How it works & what to expect
| Machine | Power Macintosh 9500, 800×600 in colour |
|---|---|
| System | Mac OS 8.6, shared with every other title of this era |
| Emulator | SheepShaver, compiled to WebAssembly |
| Build | The freely distributed demo |
| Saves | Games persist inside the emulated Mac |
It is the demo. The retail release had more; this build is what Varcon gave away to advertise it, and it is being used for exactly that purpose here.
It does not carry its own operating system; Mac OS 8.6 comes from the shared image, so it starts faster if you have already opened another Mac OS 8 title.
Why it is here
Three solitaire programs, three business models. This site now has Solitaire Till Dawn (shareware), Hardwood Solitaire II (a small studio's retail product) and Absolute Solitaire (a boxed publisher's demo). Put together they are a decent cross-section of how Macintosh software was actually sold.
MacSoft mattered on the platform. It was one of the few publishers that consistently brought boxed games to the Mac in the late 1990s, and a good deal of what Mac owners could buy in a shop had its name on it.
The title card is an artefact. A phone number, a fax number, a San Diego address and an AOL keyword — a complete snapshot of how you contacted a software company in 1999.
Getting started
Click through the DEMO title card and open the Game menu to pick a variant.
If you want breadth, Solitaire Till Dawn on this site has considerably more games in it. If you want the look, Hardwood Solitaire II is the one.
This one is worth a few hands for what it is: the version that came shrink-wrapped.
Questions people ask
Is this the full game?
No. It is the demo Varcon distributed free, with its own DEMO branding intact. The retail version was sold and is not here.
How does it compare with the other solitaire games here?
Solitaire Till Dawn has far more variants; Hardwood Solitaire II has the better artwork. This is the boxed-publisher version.
Can I save?
Yes, inside the emulated Macintosh in your browser.
Who published it?
MacSoft, from the Varcon Game Collection. Varcon Systems no longer trades.
Is it in colour?
Yes, 800×600 on an emulated Power Macintosh.
Why does it take a while to start?
It boots Mac OS 8.6 first, from the image shared with the other Mac OS 8 titles here.
