Klondike, also called patience, is the game most people simply call Solitaire: the one they mean when they say they are "playing cards on their own". You start with a shuffled deck laid out in seven columns, and your goal is to sort the whole deck into four piles, one for each suit, from ace up to king. It takes a little luck and a lot of looking ahead, and a game lasts just a few minutes.
Klondike Solitaire rules
- One standard deck of 52 cards is dealt into seven columns, called the tableau. The first column has one card, the second two, and so on up to seven. Only the top card of each column is face up.
- The other 24 cards form the stock. Turning cards over from the stock puts them face up on the waste, where the top card can be played.
- The four foundations start empty. Each one is built up in a single suit, starting with the ace and ending with the king.
- In the tableau, you build down in alternating colors: a red 6 can go on a black 7, and a black 6 on a red 7.
- You can move a single card or a whole run of cards that is already in order. Only a king, or a run starting with a king, can go into an empty column.
- When you move the last face-up card off a column, the face-down card under it turns over.
- When the stock runs out, the waste turns back over to become the stock again, as many times as you like.
- You win when all 52 cards are on the foundations.
Draw 1 or Draw 3
With Draw 1, each turn of the stock shows one card, so you can reach every card on every pass. It is the gentler way to play, and most deals can be won.
With Draw 3, three cards turn over at once and only the top one can be played. Cards hidden under it stay out of reach until the cards above them are used, which makes you plan further ahead. Results are kept separately for each mode.
How to play on this page
- Tap or click a card to move it where it fits best. An ace or a low card that is safe to send up goes to its foundation; otherwise the game prefers a move that turns over a hidden card.
- To choose the spot yourself, drag the card or run there. Double-tap a card to send it straight to its foundation.
- Tap the stock to turn over cards. When it is empty, tap it again to turn the waste back over.
- Undo takes back one move at a time. Hint suggests a useful move, and tells you when no moves are left.
- When every card is face up, a Finish button usually appears and plays the rest of the game for you.
- The timer starts with your first move. Pause it when you step away, and the cards are hidden until you return. Your game, options and results are saved in this browser.
Tips for winning more games
- Turn over face-down cards whenever you can. The longest columns hide the most cards, so work on them first.
- Don't rush cards up to the foundations. A 5 or 6 may still be needed in the tableau to hold a red or black 4 or 5.
- Only empty a column when you have a king ready to move into it. An empty column with nothing to fill it is wasted.
- Before you draw from the stock, look for every move already on the table. Drawing too soon can bury a card you need.
- In Draw 3, think about which cards will come up on the next pass. Playing one card from the waste changes the order of every pass after it.
- If you get stuck, undo a few moves and try another order. Often a single different choice opens up the game.
Frequently asked questions
- Is every game of Solitaire winnable?
- No. With a random shuffle, some deals can't be won however well you play, because the cards you need are buried where no move can reach them. Most Draw 1 deals can be won, and fewer Draw 3 deals. Turn on Winnable deals if you want only games that can be finished.
- What does "Winnable deals" mean here?
- With it on, every deal is first played by a computer solver built into this site, and you only get the deal once the solver has won it. So every one of those games can definitely be won. The solver gives up on deals that take it too long, so a few winnable deals are skipped, but no impossible deal ever gets through.
- What is the difference between Solitaire and Klondike?
- Solitaire is the name for any card game you play alone, and there are hundreds of them. Klondike is the one most people know as Solitaire, with seven columns, a stock and four foundations. This page plays Klondike.
- How many times can I go through the stock?
- As many times as you like, in both Draw 1 and Draw 3. When the stock is empty, tap it to turn the waste back over and start again.
- Can I move a card back down from a foundation?
- Yes. Drag the top card of a foundation onto a column where it fits. It is sometimes the only way to place a card from the waste.
- How are the moves and time counted?
- Each card you move and each turn of the stock is one move, and undo takes one off. The timer starts at your first move and stops while the game is paused or the tab is hidden. Your best time and fewest moves are kept for Draw 1 and Draw 3 separately.
- Will I lose my game if I close the page?
- No. The cards, your undo history, the timer and your results are saved in this browser, so the game is still there when you come back. Nothing is sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data removes it.
- Do I need to download anything or sign up?
- No. Solitaire runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone, with nothing to install and no account to create.