Forty Thieves
Two decks, ten columns. Build down in suit, one card at a time.
Solo play
One pass through the stock. Unlimited undo.
How to play Forty Thieves
Deal forty cards face-up into ten columns of four. The rest of the two decks form the stock. Build eight foundations up in suit from Ace to King. On the tableau, a card may sit on the next-higher card of the same suit — a 9 of spades on the 10 of spades. Only the top card of a column or the waste is playable. An empty column takes any card.
Tap the stock to turn one card onto the waste. There is no redeal. Tap a card to send it to a foundation if it fits, or to the leftmost legal column. Undo is unlimited.
Strategy tips
- Empty a column as soon as you can. The space is the only holding area, and almost every buried Ace needs one.
- Build on the tableau only when it frees a useful card. A long in-suit pile looks tidy and then traps the Ace you still need.
- Delay foundation plays that steal a landing spot. A 4 sent up early can strand its 3 behind a card you cannot lift.
- Watch the waste. One pass means a skipped suit-card may never come back. Play it or know why you let it go.
Forty Thieves vs. Klondike
The layout looks like a wide Klondike, but the rules are stricter: same-suit building, one card at a time, no redeal, two decks, eight foundations. Empty columns are kinder — any card may fill them — and that is the main relief. For another two-deck layout without a stock, see Crescent.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you win Forty Thieves?
- Build eight foundations from Ace to King in suit, using two full decks. Forty cards start face-up in ten columns of four. The other sixty-four wait in the stock. You win when every card sits on a foundation.
- Why may I move only one card at a time?
- That is the classic rule, and it is the whole difficulty. Tableau columns build down in suit, but you cannot pick up a run as a unit. An empty column is the only way to park a card so you can reach the one under it.
- Can any card fill an empty column?
- Yes. Unlike Klondike, an empty column takes any available card, not only a King. Empty columns are how you unstick a buried Ace or a needed suit-run.
- Is there a redeal of the stock?
- No. The stock turns one card at a time onto the waste, and you pass through it once. A card that goes by in the waste is gone unless you play it before you turn the next one.
- Are most deals winnable?
- No. Forty Thieves is a hard game even with perfect play. A modest win rate is normal. Unlimited undo lets you try a line and walk it back without a penalty to your stats.
- Do I need an account to save my stats?
- No. Games played, win rate, streaks and best times are stored in your browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to sign up for.