Hoyle Miami Solitaire

Last updated: January 15, 2026

Overview

Hoyle Miami Solitaire is a card game compilation released in November 2006 for PC, developed and published by Encore Software under the storied Hoyle brand name ¹². The game represents a thematic departure for the long-running Hoyle series, transporting players to the vibrant Art Deco era of 1920s Miami, where classic solitaire gameplay meets the glamorous aesthetic of the Jazz Age ³. The title was also released in European markets under the alternate name “Hoyle South Beach Solitaire” ¹.

Featuring over 55 different solitaire variations, the game distinguishes itself from other entries in the Hoyle catalog through its story-driven approach and mansion-building meta-game ³⁴. Players are hosted by the character John Carlisle Dunsworthy as they work through tournament play across 100 levels, unlocking card backs, bonus games, and decorative items for their Key Biscayne mansion ⁴⁵. The fusion of classic card gaming with Miami’s Latin-influenced style and Art Deco visual design creates what reviewers described as “a vibrant fusion of classic solitaire gameplay with a colorful Miami twist” ⁶.

As part of the broader Hoyle franchise—a name traditionally associated with Sierra Entertainment in the gaming sphere—Hoyle Miami Solitaire continues the brand’s legacy of delivering officially branded card game experiences to casual gaming audiences ⁷. The game was distributed through various channels including retail and digital download platforms such as Big Fish Games ⁶.

Game Info

Developer: Encore Software¹ Publisher: Encore Software / Mindscape (PAL)¹³ Platforms: PC (Windows)¹ Release Year: 2006 Series: Hoyle Sierra Lineage: Licensed/Successor (Hoyle brand)

Story Summary

Hoyle Miami Solitaire is set during Miami’s Jazz Age of the 1920s, embracing the city’s vibrant Art Deco architecture and Latin cultural influences as its thematic backdrop ³⁴. The game’s marketing prominently featured its “exciting 1920’s storyline” as a key selling point, differentiating it from more conventional solitaire compilations ³.

Players are welcomed into the game world by John Carlisle Dunsworthy, a character who serves as the host and guide throughout the experience ⁵. While the narrative framing is relatively light compared to traditional adventure games, the story mode provides context and motivation for progressing through the various solitaire challenges.

The ultimate goal involves building and decorating a personal mansion located at Key Biscayne, one of Miami’s most prestigious locations ³⁵. As players win tournaments and complete solitaire games, they earn rewards that can be used to customize and expand their virtual estate, creating an aspirational narrative of success and luxury befitting the Roaring Twenties setting.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Hoyle Miami Solitaire utilizes a standard mouse-driven interface typical of casual card games, requiring only keyboard and mouse input ³. The game is designed for accessibility, allowing players of all skill levels to engage with its content ³. Cards can be moved via click-and-drag mechanics, with the interface optimized for the Windows operating environment.

Structure and Progression

The game offers two distinct gameplay modes to accommodate different player preferences ³:

• Quick Play Mode: Allows immediate access to any of the 55+ solitaire variations for casual, pick-up-and-play sessions
• Story Mode: A structured progression through 100 levels of tournament play, tied to the 1920s Miami narrative and mansion-building mechanics

Tournament progression unlocks various rewards including 16 official Hoyle card backs and decorative items for the Key Biscayne mansion feature ³⁵. This dual-mode approach ensures both casual players seeking quick entertainment and dedicated players looking for long-term goals can find satisfaction.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The game includes over 55 different solitaire variations, providing extensive variety for card game enthusiasts ³⁴. Among these are four new and exclusive Hoyle games not found in previous compilations ³. The solitaire variants range from well-known classics to more obscure variations, ensuring that “you’ll find some solitaire games here that can’t be found elsewhere” ⁸.

The mansion decoration system serves as a meta-game layer, giving players tangible rewards for their card-playing progress ³⁵. Additionally, four hidden bonus games can be unlocked, including a game called “The Mill,” adding discovery elements to the experience ⁵.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Hoyle Miami Solitaire received mixed to positive reviews from the casual gaming press. Gamezebo awarded the game a score of 70/100, with reviewer Joel Brodie praising it as “a collection of over 55 original diversions officially branded by the leading name in PC and tabletop playing card manufacturing” and noting that players “won’t find a classier, or more relaxing, casual amusement around” ⁵. Brodie further observed that while “Hoyle Miami Solitaire might not be the most awe-inspiring offering of its kind, but it does an excellent job of capturing both the authentic pastime (and metropolis on which it’s based)‘s sunny disposition” ⁵.

The game’s themed approach was generally well-received, with the product description emphasizing that “Hoyle puts a new twist on a classic favourite! Inspired by Miami’s vibrant Art Deco and Latin styles, this solitaire game will mesmerise players of all levels!” ³.

Modern Assessment

Contemporary database listings show Hoyle Miami Solitaire as an unrated title on GameFAQs, indicating limited ongoing critical attention ¹. The game exists primarily as a casual gaming artifact from the mid-2000s era of budget PC releases.

Aggregate Scores:

• Gamezebo: 70/100⁵
• GameFAQs: Unrated (user reviews)¹

Development

Origins

Hoyle Miami Solitaire represents Encore Software’s continuation of the Hoyle brand, which had long been associated with Sierra Entertainment in the gaming industry ⁷. The Hoyle name carried significant weight in the card and board game software market, representing “the leading name in PC and tabletop playing card manufacturing” ⁵. By 2006, the brand had passed to Encore Software, who sought to distinguish their releases through unique thematic presentations.

Production

The game was developed and published by Encore Software, a company known for budget-priced software releases ¹². Distribution in PAL territories was handled by Mindscape, who marketed the title to European and Australian audiences ³. Big Fish Games also served as a digital distribution partner, making the game available through their casual gaming portal ⁶.

The development team chose Miami’s 1920s Art Deco period as their thematic hook, likely recognizing the appeal of vintage glamour to the casual gaming demographic ³⁴. The inclusion of a mansion-building feature reflected broader casual gaming trends of the era, which increasingly incorporated progression systems and collectible elements.

Technical Specifications

System Requirements:³

• Operating System: Windows XP (Home & Pro) SP2 / Windows Vista
• Processor: Pentium III 866 MHz or higher
• RAM: 128 MB
• Hard Disk Space: 34 MB free
• Optical Drive: 4X CD-ROM drive or faster
• Video: DirectX 7.0 compatible video card
• Input: Keyboard and mouse
• Installation Note: Administrator privileges required for proper installation on Windows XP and Windows Vista

Compatible Operating Systems:⁶

• Windows 98
• Windows 98 SE
• Windows 2000
• Windows ME
• Windows XP

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Initial	November 15, 2006	PC	US Release1
PAL	2006	PC	European/Australian release as “Hoyle South Beach Solitaire”13

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• Four hidden bonus games can be unlocked during gameplay, including a game called “The Mill”⁵
• The game’s 1920s Miami setting was inspired by the city’s vibrant Art Deco architectural heritage and Latin cultural influences³⁴
• The character John Carlisle Dunsworthy serves as the player’s host throughout the game⁵
• The Hoyle name has been “traditionally attached to Sierra in gaming,” representing a significant brand legacy⁷
• Players can unlock 16 official Hoyle card backs through tournament play³

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Hoyle Miami Solitaire was positioned as a budget-priced casual game, with Australian retail pricing showing the title at $9.95AUD(reducedfrom$19.95 AUD, a 50% discount) through retailers like The Gamesmen ³. The game’s commercial status is listed as “No Longer Available” in retail channels, indicating it has passed out of active distribution ³.

Collections

The game was marketed as part of the broader Hoyle franchise, which encompasses numerous card, board, and casino game compilations ¹². Product metadata indicates the game was catalogued under the “Casino & Cards” genre classification ³.

Critical Perspective

Hoyle Miami Solitaire represents an interesting inflection point in the history of the venerable Hoyle gaming brand. Originally associated with Sierra Entertainment’s long-running series of card and board game compilations dating back to the late 1980s, the Hoyle name had become synonymous with officially branded digital card gaming ⁷⁹. The transition to Encore Software marked a shift toward more budget-focused, thematically adventurous releases.

The game’s approach of combining traditional solitaire gameplay with a specific historical setting and narrative wrapper anticipated later casual gaming trends that would become more pronounced with the rise of mobile gaming. While not groundbreaking, Hoyle Miami Solitaire delivered on its promise of providing accessible, relaxing card gaming entertainment wrapped in an appealing aesthetic package. As Gamezebo noted, the game successfully captured “the authentic pastime (and metropolis on which it’s based)‘s sunny disposition” ⁵.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Currently unavailable through major digital storefronts

Product Information

• UPC: 9338671004425³
• Item Code: 137222³
• Classification: G (General)³

Series Continuity

Hoyle Miami Solitaire exists within the extensive Hoyle franchise, which has produced numerous card, casino, and board game compilations since Sierra Entertainment began the series in the late 1980s ¹². The franchise spans multiple publishers and decades, with titles covering everything from poker and blackjack to traditional board games and word games ¹⁰.

The Hoyle series has included various themed solitaire releases, with earlier Sierra entries like Hoyle Solitaire (2000) establishing the template of comprehensive solitaire compilations with customizable elements ⁹⁸. Hoyle Miami Solitaire distinguished itself through its specific thematic focus on 1920s Miami culture and its integration of mansion-building progression mechanics.

• Related: Hoyle Solitaire (2000), Hoyle Casino series, Hoyle Word Games

References

Footnotes

1. GameFAQs – Hoyle Miami Solitaire – release date, developer, publisher, alternate title, platform, franchise info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²

2. GameFAQs – Hoyle Franchise Page – developer, publisher, release year, genre ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. The Gamesmen – PC Hoyle Miami Solitaire – system requirements, features, pricing, product details, publisher (Mindscape), game description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶

4. Gamezebo – Hoyle Miami Solitaire Review – Art Deco setting, character name, game features, publisher ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

5. Gamezebo – Hoyle Miami Solitaire Review – review score, reviewer quotes, bonus games, mansion feature ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

6. Download.it – Hoyle Miami Solitaire – compatible platforms, Big Fish Games distribution, game description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

7. Game Over Online – Hoyle Solitaire Review – Hoyle brand heritage with Sierra ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. MobyGames – Hoyle Solitaire Reviews – gameplay features, technical specs, user reviews ↩ ↩²

9. Sierra Chest – Hoyle Solitaire & Mahjong Tiles 2 – publisher (Sierra Attractions), platforms, included demos, packaging ↩ ↩²

10. Squakenet – Hoyle Miami Solitaire – release year, platform, publisher ↩