In an era where game file sizes consistently grow and storage space is at a premium, TinySol offers a refreshing counterpoint. This solitaire game is so small that it can be loaded from a QR code, a remarkable feat given the trend toward enormous digital game installations.
Classic Bits, a collective of vintage computer enthusiasts, developed TinySol. The game was brought to wider attention by YouTuber LGR Blerbs, who reportedly received a physical copy on a 5.25-inch floppy disk at the VCF Southwest convention. Despite its retro presentation, TinySol has been in development since 2021. The developer's manual, presented in a dot-matrix style, explains the initial goal was to create a minuscule game suitable for the ROM images of GRiD computers, specifically leveraging the 640x400 monochrome video capabilities of the AT&T 6300.
Weighing in at a mere 3 kilobytes, TinySol provides players with a three-card Klondike Solitaire experience rendered in simple black-and-white graphics. Its compact nature allows the entire program to fit within a QR code, which can be decoded using a provided snippet of code. This QR code version is a more limited, low-resolution iteration compared to the full release.
While the current iteration exclusively features a three-card draw mode, Classic Bits has announced plans for an upcoming release that will include a one-card draw option. It is worth noting that many of the three-card draws generated by the game are not actually winnable. To address this, Classic Bits has also compiled and made available 640 winnable save files for players.
TinySol is available for free download from the Classic Bits website. It can be run using DosBox by dragging and dropping the executable onto the application. The game's commitment to extreme smallness stands in stark contrast to the current industry trend of ever-larger game files.