Former Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld is now an iPhone developer

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Donald Rumsfeld's first iPhone game is a version of solitaire played by Winston Churchill.
Donald Rumsfeld's first iPhone game is a version of solitaire played by Winston Churchill.
Photo: Churchill Solitaire

Former Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld, one of the key individuals responsible for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is now an iPhone game developer.

His first app, though, doesn’t boast his name, but British prime minister Winston Churchill’s. Even weirder? It’s a solitaire game.

Churchill Solitaire bills itself as “the most diabolical version of solitaire ever devised.” It was allegedly played by Churchill, who used it to “sharpen his wits and steal his nerves” as the Axis powers assaulted England. What separates it from normal forms of solitaire is two decks of cards, as well as a row called the “Devil’s Six.”

Here’s a gameplay video, showing how it works:

It’s apparently different from normal versions of Solitaire in that it’s absolutely rife with in-app purchases, at least according to Destructoid:

Unlike what Churchill played when he was alive, Churchill Solitaire is ripe with microtransactions. If you get stuck, you can pay to buy hints or undos at 15 for $0.99, and if you want to play more than a randomly selected dealing, you’re going to be putting down another buck to access 25 different deals. Deals, meaning, a set shuffling and dealing of the cards for you to attempt to solve. There are 200 deals on offer, though for $4.99 you can unlock all the deals as well as a randomized deal mode.

Rumsfeld claims he learned the game 40 years ago, and has played it through his terms as both 13th and 21st Secretary of State. Proceeds will go to the Rumsfeld Foundation and W.S.C Churchill Heritage, “charitable causes that support wounded military veterans and their families, and that advance the legacy and heritage of Winston Churchill.”

You can download Churchill Solitaire for iPhone and iPad from the App Store here.

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