List of games included with Windows

Video games have been a part of Microsoft Windows operating systems, starting with Windows 1.0x. Microsoft, the company behind Windows, has included games in various versions of Windows, like the Microsoft Entertainment Pack and Microsoft Plus! Some of these games have also been included in later versions of Windows. One popular game, Microsoft Solitaire, has been included in every version of Windows except for Windows 8 and 8.1. The newest version of Windows, Windows 11, comes with Microsoft Solitaire Collection and Surf.

 History 
When Microsoft was developing Windows 1.0 in the early 1980s, they planned to include games. Initially, they developed two games called Puzzle and Chess, but later decided to include Reversi instead, based on the popular board game. Reversi was included in Windows versions up to Windows 3.1. In 1988, an intern named Wes Cherry developed Solitaire, with the card deck design by Susan Kare, who was known for her work on the original Macintosh.

The purpose of including Solitaire was to help users feel more comfortable with the operating system, especially since graphical user interfaces were still new to many people. It helped familiarize users with using a mouse, such as the drag-and-drop technique for moving cards. Solitaire and another game called FreeCell were among the most popular Windows programs, even surpassing productivity applications like Microsoft Word and Excel, according to Microsoft telemetry. However, there were concerns about employees spending too much time playing Solitaire and its impact on productivity.

The Microsoft Hearts Network was introduced in Windows for Workgroups 3.1, showcasing NetDDE technology that allowed multiple players to play simultaneously over a computer network. It was later renamed Internet Hearts and included in Windows Me and XP, along with other online multiplayer games. "3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet" was a version of the pinball table from the video game "Full Tilt! Pinball" released in 1995.

In Windows Vista and 7, Minesweeper had an alternate "Flower Garden" style in addition to the default "Minesweeper" style. This change was made due to controversy surrounding the original land mine theme being potentially insensitive. The "Flower Garden" style was used as the default in "sensitive areas."

Support for Internet games in Windows Me, XP, and 7 ended on specific dates, with Windows 7 ending on January 22, 2020. Windows 10 introduced several third-party games like Candy Crush Saga and Disney Magic Kingdoms, which were included as advertisements on the Start menu and could be automatically installed by the operating system. Windows 11 includes the Xbox app, allowing users to access the PC Game Pass video game subscription service. The Microsoft Edge browser bundled with Windows 10 and 11 also includes the Surf game starting from 2020 onwards.