Klondike Solitaire

Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, one for each suit. Each foundation starts with an Ace and builds upward through 2, 3, and the remaining ranks to King.

The game deals one standard 52-card deck with no jokers. The table has four kinds of piles:

• Tableau: the seven playing columns below the top row. From left to right, they start with one through seven cards. Only the exposed card in each column is face-up; the other cards begin face-down.
• Stock: the face-down pile at the upper left. It holds the 24 cards left after the deal.
• Waste: the face-up pile beside the stock. Drawn cards land here. Only its top card is available to play.
• Foundations: the four suit-marked spaces at the upper right. They begin empty and hold your completed suits.

Moving cards between columns

Place a face-up card on an exposed card one rank higher and of the opposite color. For example, a red 9 can go on a black 10. Hearts and diamonds are red; spades and clubs are black.

You can move a descending, alternating-color sequence together. Pick up its highest card and move it with all the cards below it. A black 8–red 7–black 6 sequence can go on a red 9.

Empty columns and hidden cards

Only a King, or a sequence starting with a King, can fill an empty column. When you uncover a face-down card, the game turns it over automatically. You cannot move a card while it is face-down.

Building the foundations

Move one exposed card at a time from the tableau or waste to its matching foundation: Ace first, then 2, and so on in the same suit. In this version, you may also return the top foundation card to a legal place in the tableau. Ranks do not wrap: an Ace cannot go on a King in a column.

Click or tap the stock once to draw. Turn 1 turns over one card. Turn 3 turns over up to three, with only the top waste card playable. Playing it exposes the card underneath, which may then be played if it fits.

When the stock is empty, click or tap its empty space to turn the waste back into the stock. The cards are not shuffled, and passes through the stock are unlimited in both modes. Changing turn mode during play starts a new deal.

You win when all four foundations reach King. This version tracks moves and elapsed time rather than awarding points. Each card or sequence move, stock draw, and stock recycle counts as one move.

If you are stuck, check the stock and waste as well as the columns. The game does not automatically declare a loss when progress stops. Use Undo to try another approach, or open New game and choose Restart current deal to replay the layout or Random deal (Winnable deal when the filter is on) for a fresh layout.

Restarting, starting a new game, or changing turn mode after making a move in an unfinished deal records that attempt as a loss in your statistics. Using Undo alone does not record a loss.

• Turn mode: choose Turn 1 or Turn 3 before starting. Your choice works for this visit even if browser storage is unavailable; saving it for later visits requires storage.
• Choose a destination: drag a card or sequence with your mouse or finger onto a legal pile.
• Automatic move: click or tap a face-up card. The game tries its foundation first, then the leftmost legal column. For a sequence, use its highest card. This chooses a legal move, not necessarily the best move.
• Undo: reverses your last action and restores the previous move count. You can undo repeatedly during an unfinished game; it does not rewind the timer. Resume a paused game first.
• Pause: stops the timer and blocks card moves until you resume.
• New game: opens a menu. Choose Random deal for a fresh layout or Restart current deal to replay the same starting cards. Both reset the move count and timer.
• Winnable only: enable this in New game to draw future games from 128 verified solvable deals per turn mode. Then choose Winnable deal to start one. The setting is saved in this browser when storage is available; toggling it leaves your current game in place. It also applies when changing turn mode or dealing again after a win. Restart, shared links, and manually entered deal numbers keep the requested layout and bypass the filter. A solvable starting layout still requires the right moves.
• Share deal: copies a link to the starting layout and turn mode so someone else can play the same deal.
• Auto-finish: appears when the stock and waste are empty and every remaining tableau card is face-up. Select it to move the remaining cards to their foundations.
• Saved progress: return and press Play to continue your position and timer. Undo history and statistics also save when browser storage is available. Time away does not count.

• Look for moves that uncover cards. Revealing a hidden card gives you another option. If two moves fit, consider which one opens access to more face-down cards.
• Have a use for an empty column. A space only helps if you can move a King into it. Prefer a King move that also releases hidden cards or frees another useful card.
• Check before advancing a foundation. A card may still be useful as a landing place in the tableau. You can bring it back here, but planning ahead can save moves.
• Watch the waste in Turn 3. Playing its top card may expose another useful card. Look at the newly available card before drawing again.

Klondike is often simply called Solitaire. Its Windows version, included from Windows 3.0 in 1990, helped introduce it to generations of computer players. Read about Klondike on Wikipedia.

For a game with every card visible from the start, try FreeCell. For a different challenge built around complete sequences, try Spider Solitaire.