How to play Solitaire
This is Klondike, the game most people simply call Solitaire. It uses one 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards are dealt into seven columns, with only the top card of each column face up. The rest form the stock (top left). The goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundations (top right), building each suit from Ace up to King.
- Columns: a card can go on a card one rank higher of the opposite colour — a red 6 on a black 7. An ordered group can be moved together.
- Face-down cards: when the last face-up card leaves a column, the card below turns over.
- Empty columns: only a King, or a group starting with a King, can go into an empty column.
- Stock: click the stock to turn cards onto the waste pile. The top card of the waste can be played. When the stock is empty, click it again to turn the waste back over; there is no limit on passes.
- Foundations: each suit is built up from Ace to King. A card can also be moved back down from a foundation onto a column.
Draw 1 and Draw 3
In Draw 1 the stock turns one card at a time, so every card in the stock is reachable on each pass. In Draw 3 it turns three at a time and only the top one can be played, which makes the game much harder. Your best times and win streaks are kept separately for each mode.
Controls
- Tap or click a card to move it to the best spot: its foundation first, then a matching column, then an empty column for a King.
- 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, and once every card is face up the game finishes itself.
- D or Space turns the stock. H shows a possible move. Ctrl+Z or U undoes. Restart returns to the start of the same deal.
Strategy tips
- Turn over face-down cards first. A move that uncovers a card is usually better than one from the waste.
- Start with the longest columns. The column on the right hides six cards; freeing it opens the most options.
- Don't empty a column without a King to put there. Only a King can fill it.
- Choose which King goes into a space. Pick the one whose column colours match the cards you are waiting for.
- Don't rush cards to the foundations. A low card may still be needed in a column to hold a card of the other colour.
Frequently asked questions
Can every game be won?
No. Some Klondike deals cannot be solved whatever you do, especially in Draw 3. Hints, undo and restart are there to try different lines.
Is this the same as Windows Solitaire?
It follows the same Klondike rules, with Draw 1 and Draw 3 modes. The deals are our own.
What counts as a loss?
Starting a new deal after making moves in the current one ends your win streak.
Is there a leaderboard?
No. Deals are random, so times are not comparable between players. Your own best time and fewest moves are kept on this device.