Peg Solitaire

Peg Solitaire is a classic single-player puzzle game that’s been bending minds since at least the late 17th century, with origins tied to the court of Louis XIV. You start with a cross-shaped board—typically 33 holes in the English version—filled with pegs except for one empty spot, usually the center. The goal’s simple but brutal: jump one peg over another into an empty hole, removing the jumped peg each time, until you’re left with just one peg, ideally in the middle. Jumps are straight—horizontal or vertical, no diagonals—and you’ve got to land in an open space. Strategy-wise, it’s all about planning ahead. Start by clearing the edges or corners to open up the board, but don’t just hop randomly—you’ll end up with stranded pegs and no moves. Think a few jumps ahead, like chess but lonelier. The standard English board can be solved in 18 moves if you’re slick, though only five spots (center or one of the four symmetric arms) can legally host that final peg, thanks to some deep symmetry math. It’s a chill game with no timer, but don’t let that fool you—it’s a logic grind that’ll hook you fast. How many pegs do you think you’d whittle down to on your first crack?