FreeSolitaire.win

"A minimal, lightweight Klondike Solitaire progressive web app that generates ~$500/mo in ad revenue, with 40% of players coming from South Africa through inclusion in a data-free messaging app."
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FreeSolitaire.win
Maker: palsecam
$500/mo (explicitly stated by creator: 'brings around $500/mo in advertising revenue')

Marketing Channels

Primary

Moya messaging app partnership

Included in Moya, a popular data-free messaging app in South Africa with reverse-billing, which drives ~40% of players and ~15-20% of revenue

Secondary

Word of mouth / Reddit

Creator posted on Reddit initially, then grew organically. Also discussed on HN multiple times (2023, 2024)

Ongoing

Organic search (SEO)

Creator notes 'it's far from being on top results on SERP, some people do find it that way' — not a primary channel but contributes to discovery

Ongoing

Hacker News community

Discussed multiple times on HN with positive reception (19 points, 25 points on recent posts), generating periodic traffic spikes

Growth Levers

  • Maintain the lightweight, no-framework, no-cruft approach as a competitive differentiator — this is what got it included in Moya and praised by users
  • Improve card design (royalty artwork, pip sizing) based on user feedback to increase visual polish without sacrificing minimalism
  • Fix the double-click bug on Windows/Chrome to improve the core gameplay experience
  • Seek similar data-free or lightweight app platform partnerships in other emerging markets beyond South Africa
  • Leverage offline PWA capability as a marketing differentiator for commuters and users with limited connectivity

First Customer Strategy

The creator built the Solitaire PWA starting in 2016 and shared it on Reddit, growing organically from there. The major inflection point came in 2020 when Moya, a popular South African messaging app, included it because of its lightweight nature, instantly bringing ~40% of the player base from South Africa.

Pricing Insight

Revenue is entirely ad-based using Google AdSense, plus a few donations. About 40% of players use ad blockers, which the creator deliberately does not fight ('I don't play cat-and-mouse'). South African players are 40% of traffic but only 15-20% of revenue due to lower ad RPM. The non-intrusive ad approach aligns with the product's minimalist philosophy.

New Market Opportunities

  • Other data-free / emerging market platforms The Moya inclusion proving that lightweight PWAs can thrive in data-constrained markets suggests similar partnerships with other messaging or super-apps in Africa, Southeast Asia, and other emerging markets
  • Commuter and offline gaming Creator highlighted the offline PWA capability as ideal for commuting, which is a large addressable audience for casual games

Key Takeaways

  • • Extreme minimalism can be a competitive advantage — being lightweight enough for inclusion in a data-free messaging app unlocked 40% of the user base from an entirely unexpected market
  • • Patience and slow iteration over 8+ years (2016-2024) can produce a sustainable $500/mo side project without aggressive growth tactics
  • • Platform partnerships (Moya) can create step-function growth for small projects — a single inclusion changed the entire user demographics
  • • Not fighting ad blockers (40% of users) is a deliberate philosophical choice that preserves user goodwill and the product's minimalist brand
  • • Ad revenue from different geographies varies dramatically — 40% of traffic from South Africa generates only 15-20% of revenue due to RPM differences
  • • A PWA's offline capability is a genuine feature differentiator, not just a technical nicety, especially for commuters and data-constrained users

Sentiment Analysis

8 Pos / 1 Neu

Notable Quotes

"There's nothing to add to it, but more importantly... nothing to take out. — (quoted HN user from previous thread)"
"Just spent the last 10 minutes playing, while having my morning coffee... Thank you for making this, it brought some joy to my day. — MrDresden"
"Impressive! Its well made and such a simple idea making $$$ with some innovative thinking! — vidyesh"
"That is pretty slick, and beautifully lightweight. — swiftcoder"
"It should be forbidden to post a game of solitaire on hacker news. This has a direct impact on the world's GDP! — d--b"

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