How to play FreeCell
FreeCell uses one 52-card deck, dealt face up into eight columns. Above the columns are four free cells (top left), which hold one card each, and four foundations (top right), one per suit. The goal is to move all 52 cards to the foundations, from Ace up to King in each suit.
- Columns: a card can go on a card one rank higher of the opposite colour — a red 6 on a black 7.
- Free cells: any single card can be parked in an empty free cell.
- Foundations: each suit is built up from Ace to King.
- Empty columns: any card, or any ordered group, can go into an empty column.
- Moving groups: an ordered group can move together if there are enough free cells and empty columns to move it one card at a time. The limit is (free cells + 1) × 2 for each empty column.
Controls
- Tap or click a card to move it to the best spot: foundation first, then a matching column, then a free cell.
- Drag a card or group to choose where it goes.
- Cards that can no longer be needed in the columns move to the foundations automatically.
- H shows a possible move. Ctrl+Z or U undoes. Restart returns to the start of the same deal.
Game numbers
Every deal has a number from 1 to 1,000,000. Deals 1 to 32,000 are the same as in the classic Windows version of FreeCell, so "Game #617" here is the same layout. Click the game number to play a specific deal, or open zippi.games/freecell?game=617 directly.
Almost every deal can be won. Of the original 32,000, only game #11982 has no solution.
Strategy tips
- Free the Aces and 2s early. Look for low cards buried in columns and plan how to dig them out.
- Keep free cells empty. Each free cell used lowers the number of cards you can move as a group.
- An empty column is worth more than a free cell. It doubles the size of the group you can move.
- Plan several moves ahead before filling a cell. A card parked in a free cell needs a way back out.
- Build long ordered columns. They move as a unit and make room elsewhere.
- Avoid burying low cards under Kings. A King can only move to an empty column.
Frequently asked questions
Can every FreeCell game be won?
Nearly all. Among the original 32,000 deals, game #11982 is the only one known to be unsolvable.
Is there a limit on undo?
Undo goes back to the first move of the current deal. Restart returns there in one step.
What counts as a loss?
Starting a new deal after making moves in the current one ends your win streak.