Solitaire Cube — which is built on the Skillz multiplayer gaming platform — offers a glitch-free gaming experience. Players compete against each other via brackets of various sizes, or through head-to-head competitions.
The game is often referred to as a money-making app, so for this Solitaire Cube review, we tested it to see if there’s a realistic way to earn cash without paying to play.
The short answer? While the platform offers a great experience and the game is fun, you can’t win money without putting your own funds on the line.
And while there is a way to earn in-game currency that can be exchanged for real-world prizes by playing free games, accumulating enough of that currency to redeem it for anything of value would take an enormous amount of time.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this review:
- Solitaire Cube Basics
- Key Facts
- Gameplay & Features
- Cost & Earning Potential
- Our Earnings
- FAQs
- Final Verdict
Solitaire Cube Basics
Is Solitaire Cube legit? Yes, in the sense that I was able to download the game and easily play free games that earned me virtual currency.
However, while that virtual currency can theoretically be redeemed for various prizes — ranging from gift cards to exotic cars — earning enough of it to cash-out for anything of value requires many (many) hours of play.
Solitaire Cube operates on three types of currency:
- Cash: For some games, U.S. currency is required as an entry fee. Cash is then offered as a prize for winning these games.
- Zs: The official Skillz platform digital currency that can be used for entry fees. Players earn Zs by winning games and tournaments, achieving trophies, or as a daily offer. They cannot be exchanged for anything with a cash value.
- Ticketz: A virtual currency offered as a prize for some games. Ticketz can be exchanged for gift cards or merchandise.
I paid an entry fee of a certain number of Zs for the opportunity to play each of my games. If I won the game (i.e., if I scored more points than my opponent), I won additional Zs and 1 Ticketz. If I lost, I didn’t win anything.
All games on the Skillz platform require — as the name suggests — some level of skill to play (thus differentiating them from gambling games). For Solitaire Cube, the goal is to move all cards to the foundation stacks in the top left-hand corner. For every correct move a player makes, they earn points.
Finishing a game early (whether you’re able to win or simply run out of moves), will earn you a time bonus. Conversely, when Solitaire Cube players cycle through their deck more than three times, they lose points for each subsequent cycle.
End the game with more points than your opponent and you win.
Solitaire Cube Key Facts
Similar to the other games available on the Skillz platform (check out our Blackout Bingo review for another example), Solitaire Cube can be downloaded for iPhone and Android devices. Also like other Skillz-based games, there are a few important facts to note before you begin playing.
1. You can’t win cash unless you pay to play.
Solitaire Cube offers players the ability to play in brackets, head-to-head, or practice rounds. There are a number of scenarios available in each category. Both bracket and head-to-head games offer the opportunity to win cash, but every game that offers a cash prize also has a cash entry fee.
2. You can theoretically earn gift cards and merchandise by playing the free version, but it will take a very long time.
All practice games are cashless (i.e., free to play). Solitaire Cube also offers one bracket that only requires Zs to enter. The downside is that the reward for winning any of these games will only get you more Zs (which you can use to play more games) and Ticketz.
Players can win up to 500 Zs, but these cannot be redeemed for cash or prizes. Each free game you win will also earn you 1 Ticketz, and Ticketz can be redeemed for gift cards or merchandise.
It’s important to note that regardless of what free game you choose, you can only earn a maximum of 1 Ticketz per game.
3. There is an inactivity fee.
If you’re a cash player, note that the Skillz platform charges a monthly maintenance fee of $2 after six months of inactivity. Additionally, if you close your account, make sure you withdraw your cash balance first. If you forget, any remaining balance will be deducted two months after your account is closed.
Solitaire Cube Gameplay & Features
The Skillz algorithm matches people with players of similar abilities for head-to-head competitions and tournaments. The “same circumstances” (a term used by Skillz) are then provided to each player. I assume the phrase “same circumstances” means that the same cards are placed in the same location for every person, but the Skillz Terms and Conditions are not that specific.
Leagues
As players compete, they’re entered into either a “Pro” or a “Practice” league. Pro leagues allow players to compete against their peers for cash prizes (the current league offers $72,792 cash and 64 million Ticketz), while the Practice league offers Zs (currently 773,000).
Leagues run over a set period of days, and the prizes are split among the top finishers at the end of the period.
Loyalty Tiers
As players accumulate Ticketz by winning games, they move from tier to tier. The first tier, awarded to every new player, is Bronze. At the Bronze level, players earn only what they win. However, once you’ve won 250 Ticketz, you’ll reach Silver status and earn a 2x multiplier. That means that while you’re a Silver player, you’ll receive two Ticketz for every one that you win.
Trophies
Another way to earn additional Ticketz and Zs is by earning (and then claiming) Trophies. For example, changing your username and uploading an avatar will earn you enough Zs to get started playing games, and winning three practice tournaments will earn you 50 bonus Ticketz.
You can see a few more examples of available Trophies in the screenshot below.
Solitaire Cube Cost & Earning Potential
Solitaire Cube offers both free and cash games.
Free Games
If you want to play and earn Ticketz without risking money, you have one bracket and a number of practice options.
- Brackets
- Prize: 2-50 Zs and 1 Ticketz.
- Entry Fee: 5 Zs.
- Players: 32 players.
- Practice
- Prize: 2-500 Zs and 1 Ticketz.
- Entry Fee: 1-300 Zs.
- Players: 2.
Cash Games
If you’re looking to earn cash and are willing to put your own money on the line, there are two options available: brackets and head-to-head.
- Brackets
- Entry Fee: $3-$105.
- Potential Prize: $2-$210 (depending on the entry fee amount and your final placement) and 225-7,800 Ticketz.
- Players: 4-32 players.
- Head-to-Head
- Entry Fee: $0.60-$120.
- Potential Prize: $1-$200 and 50-10,000 Ticketz.
- Players: 2.
Rewards Options & Cashing Out
If you choose to play with cash and decide you want to withdraw your winnings, you have the option to withdraw your balance at any time. Your withdrawal, up to the amount of your original deposit, will be processed via the same format as your original payment (PayPal or credit card).
Any earnings above and beyond your cash deposit amount will be sent via paper check (for players within the United States). Players outside the U.S. will receive their winnings via PayPal. Note that withdrawals may take 4-6 weeks to process, and there is a $1.50 charge for any requests under $10.
All of the Skillz platform games have a wide variety of gift cards and merchandise (such as Skillz swag, tech, kitchen and home items, jewelry, cars and more) that users can receive in exchange for their accumulated Ticketz.
A $50 gift card costs 1 million Ticketz, so each Ticketz has a value of $0.00005. To state it another way, 20,000 Ticketz = $1.
Our Solitaire Cube Earnings
Solitaire Cube is often referred to as a money-making app, so the primary goal of this review was to determine whether it’s a legit way to earn extra cash.
As such, I went into my testing period with a rule that I would only play free games, seeing how many Ticketz I could earn over a relatively short period of time using only Zs for my entry fees.
After about 30 minutes, I had accumulated 55 Ticketz. As I noted in the previous section, 20,000 Tickets = $1 in value, so my earnings amounted to a fraction of a penny.
It’s worth noting that when I tested another Skillz platform game called Blackout Bingo, my earning rate was almost identical.
Here’s a log of every game I played, along with the results.
| Game Type | Result |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 1 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 0 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 0 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 0 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 0 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 1 Ticketz |
| Novice – klondike for practice | 1 Ticketz |
| Trophy – win three practice tournaments | 50 Ticketz |
| Amature – klondike for fun | 1 Ticketz |
| Amature – klondike for fun | 1 Ticketz |
| Total earned: | 55 Ticketz |
Maximum Earning Potential
If you’re wondering how long you would need to play Solitaire Cube to earn enough Ticketz to redeem them, we’ll need to do some math.
My half-hour of testing was not enough to earn anything.
The least expensive item in the Skillz store — a sticker — costs 1,000 Tickets. For context, I earned Ticketz at a rate of 55 for every 30 minutes and 38 seconds of play time (or every 1,838 seconds).
Note that the vast majority of my Tickets — 50 out of 55, or nearly 91% — came from a Trophy reward, not gameplay. I will include my Trophy earnings in my math below, but I wanted to make the point that I would be unlikely to earn at the exact same rate over time.
- 1,838 seconds/55 Ticketz = 33.42 seconds/Ticketz.
- 250 Ticketz (to hit the next earning tier) * 33.42 seconds = 8,355 seconds (2 hours and 19 minutes of consecutive play to move to the Silver tier).
The next 750 Ticketz would be earned at a multiple of two for every victory (in the Silver tier) so my earning rate would improve slightly to 1,838/60 = 30.63 seconds per Ticketz.
- 750 Ticketz * 30.63 seconds = 22,973 seconds (6 hours 23 minutes).
- 2 hours and 19 minutes + 6 hours and 23 minutes = 8 hours and 42 minutes.
Therefore, it would take me 8 hours and 42 minutes of consecutive play to earn enough Ticketz to earn the lowest priced item (a sticker).
Solitaire Cube FAQs
Because Solitaire Cube requires skill, it is not considered a gambling app. However, the only way to win cash is by putting your own money on the line, which means there’s a chance you could lose money.
Users located in “prohibited jurisdictions” (determined by the gaming laws of each U.S. state, country, territory or jurisdiction) are not permitted to play cash competitions.
Per the Skillz Terms and Conditions, the following are prohibited jurisdictions as of July 22, 2020: “Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee. For card games, Prohibited Jurisdictions include Maine and Indiana.”
Anyone with an Apple or Android device who is 18 years old or older can play.
Yes, your cash and Ticketz balances will sync across games so that you can achieve prizes more quickly. However, your Zs balance is game-specific.
Solitaire Cube Review: Final Verdict
If solitaire is one of your favorite games and you’re seeking a glitch-free mobile app that lets you pay it whenever and wherever you are, Solitaire Cube on the Skillz platform may be just what you need. But if you’re looking for a way to earn some money on the side without paying to play, there are better ways to achieve your goals.
Check out our guide to games that pay via PayPal for more realistic options. And if you’re interested in a more serious game-based job or side hustle, read our guide on ways to make money playing games.
You can also refer to our full list of game apps that pay you to play, but keep in mind that like Solitaire Cube, many of them require cash entry fees.
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