Hey, Good Game

How FreeCell Snuck Its Way Into Millions of PCs

Jun 25, 2024

Jim Horne, creator of Microsoft FreeCell and xwordinfo.com, shares his journey from early programming to developing FreeCell for Windows. He discusses his time at Microsoft, including interactions with Steve Ballmer. Jim highlights the unsolvable nature of FreeCell and his recent game collaboration,

36:45

Creator website

Episode guests

Jim Horne

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Jim Horne creatively integrated FreeCell into Microsoft products without official approval, leading to its worldwide success.

Passion for crosswords and music expanded Jim Horne's career beyond game development, showcasing the value of pursuing diverse interests.

Deep dives

Jim Horn's Background in Game Development and Music

Jim Horn, the creator of Microsoft Freestyle and a partner in a new game, Squeezy, has a diverse background in software development, writing, and music. His career at Microsoft introduced him to game creation, while also exploring his passion for music and theater. Working with the New York Times and conducting the Microsoft Orchestra showcased his multi-faceted talents and interests.

Intro

3min

The Story of Freecell: From Creation to Popularity

14min

Reflections on Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates

2min

Journey from Blogging to Building Xword Info

11min

Exploring the Solvability of FreeCell Games

3min

Creating Games and Fulfilling Dreams

5min

Episode 29: Jim Horne is the creator of Microsoft FreeCell and xwordinfo.com. Jim shares his journey from early programming to joining Microsoft in 1988, where he secretly added FreeCell to Windows.

His passion for crosswords led to writing for the New York Times and developing xwordinfo.com. Jim discusses his time at Microsoft, including sharing an office wall with Steve Ballmer, and the serendipitous nature of his career. He touches on the "unsolvable" FreeCell game and his recent collaboration on "I'm Squeezy." Throughout, Jim highlights the intersection of music and programming, offering insights into early computing, casual games, and the crossword community, demonstrating how pursuing interests can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Check out Jim's resources:
https://www.xwordinfo.com
https://freecell.org/
Wordplay
https://imsqueezy.com