The most classic solitaire card game, also known as Klondike Solitaire, is a beloved single-player card game that combines elements of strategy and skill. This step-by-step guide will help you master the game, from setting it up to winning strategies.
A standard 52-card deck is used to play solitaire, excluding the jokers.
The objective of Solitaire is to move all cards to the foundation piles, arranged by suit in ascending order from the ace to the king.
First, create seven columns. The first column on the left has one card, the second column next to it on its right has two cards, the third column has three cards, and so on, until the seventh column at the far right, which has seven cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up.
There are four foundation piles on the top right corner, initially empty, where cards will be built up by suit from the ace to the king.
The remaining cards will form the stock on the top left corner and will be faced down. Cards that cannot be played immediately are placed in the waste pile.
First start assessing if you can make any move from the cards that are displayed initially.
Since the objective of the game is to move all of the cards to the foundations starting from the aces, if one is already face up at the start of the game make sure to move it to one of the foundations.
Only face-up cards can be moved within the tableau.
Cards are placed in descending order in alternating colours. For example, a red 5 can be placed on a black 6 and a black jack will be on a red queen.
You can move a sequence of cards from one column to another as long as the sequence follows the descending and alternating colours rule is followed. If when you move the sequence the card left from the original column is facing down you'll then flip it over to uncover it.
If one of the columns is empty only a king or a sequence starting with a King can be placed on it. As it was just mentioned, if you do this flip over the card that was under the king in the original column that just moved from.
So remember this important rule: when a face-up card is moved, the card beneath it is turned face-up and becomes available for play.
If you have no more moves left with the exposed cards, you'll then draw from the stock. You'll draw one card at a time (or three in a variation will see later) from the stock and placed in the waste pile.
The top card from the waste pile can be used in the game whether to the columns if it fits or if it's one of the corresponding cards to go into one of the foundations.
If it cannot be played you'll continue to draw cards from the stock until you find a suitable one to play according to the rules.
Cards must be moved to the foundation piles in ascending order by suit. For example, an ace of diamonds is followed by the 2 of diamonds, then the 3 of diamonds, and so on up to the king.
Remember an important rule already mentioned, which makes one of the basics when playing solitaire: only the aces can start a foundation pile.
Once you've gone through the entire deck and placed all cards on the foundation piles you'll have resolved the solitaire. So in order to finish a solitaire game you must successfully move all cards to the foundation piles, sorted by suit in ascending order from the ace to the king.
Don't be hasty in your reaction and think before making a move. Consider the possible sequences of each move and take into account that moving one card may block access to another.
Prioritize moves that reveal face-down cards since you'll need access to as many displayed cards as possible to make moves in a more conscious manner and with as much information accessible as possible.
If you don’t have a king to use and move to an empty column, avoid emptying it since it could give you extra room for other options to play in the coming moves.
Make every move a strategic one. Don't move cards just for the sake of it but think of its potential pros and cons at all times.
If playing the one-card draw variation, go through the stock productively to find and play useful cards as early as possible in the game.
Ain to find and move aces and its next following cards early in the game: the quicker you get low-value cards (aces and twos) to the foundation the more chances to start moving the rest as soon as you start uncovering them.
Create an empty column when you find a king you'll like moving to rearrange sequences and continue uncovering face-down cards.
A way to make the game more interesting is by trying a variation from this original classic solitario klondike:
Yes! It's implied by its name itself. However, if you haven't tried a multiplayer mode we'd thoroughly recommend for you to give it a go. It's definitely much more thrilling!
How can solitaire be played in multiplayer? By having an opponent trying to resolve the same solitaire as you and the one that beats the other and finishes first will win the competition!
Although solitaire Klondike is the classic solitaire by excellence, the solitaire family is vast and varied so we'll introduce some of the most played and well known solitaires worldwide for you to get some new solitaire excitement in your life if you need it
Also known as Tri Towers, Three Peaks or Triple Peaks. This is because of the layout of the cards on the tableau, which resembles three pyramids with a common base for the three of them formed by a line of cards. It is quite a unique type of solitaire since the way to play is to choose a card with one value up or down from the one shown on the stock pile, whatever its colour or suit. The fact that the suit is absolutely irrelevant and only the value matters is most striking in this case. It's also the reason why the speed of the game is much faster and dynamic than other solitaires. We invite you to give playing tripeaks solitaire online a go or to understand the rules of the game further.
This is a very different type of solitaire from the other ones you may be used to play since the goal is to remove all cards from the tableau by forming pairs of cards that sum up a total of 13 points within those cards from the tableau or from the stock pile. If you're looking to try something different you suggest you give pyramid solitaire a go. Play pyramid solitaire online now if you're ready or continue reading the rules of pyramid solitaire until you feel up to the challenge.
Here is a solitaire that requires the use of strategic thinking and some patience in which the goal is to form the sequences of the 4 suits from ace to king on their foundation piles organising all of the deck of cards, displayed on the tableau from the beginning in 10 columns with all the cards mixed up following no order at all. In order to do this you'll be allowed to make certain moves and the use of the four empty cells that the game starts with. If you'd like to find out what these allowed moves are and much more information that will help you prepare to play the game, you can read all about the rules of the freecell solitaire game here. If instead you'd like to plunge into it and figure it out as you go along, play freecell solitaire online now.
The last of the variations we'll cover is a nice twist to the good old classic solitaire you may know by now and it's called spider solitaire because the cards are displayed in such a way that could resemblance a spider web, intricate, connected and elaborated. Its composition would be a good metaphor for the complexity that entails.
Its goal is to complete sequences of 13 cards of the same suit until you complete the 8 sequences in total. Each time you complete one these sequences it goes into its foundation pile, freeing some space and allowing extra moves on the tableau so as you untangle the spider web you get closer to resolving the solitaire.
We suggest you continue reading the rules of spider solitaire. Once you feel ready, come and play spider solitaire online with us
Now that you know how to play solitaire it's time to test your skills and start mastering this addictive and relaxing game. You can play klondike solitaire online free on our platform, or download the solitaire klondike iOS app as well as the Android one.
Not only that, you'll also have the chance to try the other cool solitaires we mentioned like spider, tripeaks, freecell and pyramid solitaire. You'll also be able to try them all in the multiplayer mode! We know you can't wait so go try it now!
