Freecell Solitaire

Freecell is often considered the thinking person's solitaire. Unlike Klondike where luck plays a significant role in the shuffle, Freecell is a game of open information where nearly 100% of all possible deals are solvable.

The game was popularized globally when it was included in Windows 95, but its roots go back to a game called Eight Off. It was Paul Alfille who refined the rules in the late 1970s to create the version we know and love today. If you enjoy games that require planning several moves ahead, like Spider Solitaire or Yukon, Freecell will quickly become one of your favorites.

Setup

Freecell is played with a standard 52-card deck. All cards are dealt face-up into eight tableau columns. The first four columns contain seven cards each, and the last four columns contain six cards each.

The board also features:

Four Foundations: Located at the top right, these are where you build your suits from Ace to King.
Four Free Cells: Located at the top left, these act as temporary storage spaces for a single card each.

How to Play

The objective of Freecell is to move all cards to the four foundations, sorted by suit in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3… King).

Tableau Movement: You can move cards within the tableau columns. Cards must be placed in descending order and must alternate in color (for example, a red 9 can be placed on a black 10).
Using Free Cells: You can move any single card from the bottom of a tableau column to an empty free cell. This card can later be moved back into the tableau or to a foundation.
Moving Sequences: You can move a sequence of cards if you have enough empty free cells or empty tableau columns to facilitate the move. The more empty spaces you have, the larger the stack you can move at once.
Empty Columns: An empty tableau column can be filled with any card or sequence.

Tips to Win

Free the Aces: Your top priority should be uncovering the Aces and 2s to start building your foundations early.
Keep Cells Empty: Try to keep as many free cells empty as possible. They are your most valuable resource; once they are filled, your ability to move cards across the board is severely limited.
Empty a Column Early: An empty tableau column is even more powerful than a free cell because it can hold an entire sequence of cards, not just one.
Plan Ahead: Before moving a card to a free cell, ask yourself if you have a clear plan to get it back out. If you don't, you might be creating a bottleneck that ends your game.

Unlike Aces Up which is fast-paced and luck-dependent, Freecell rewards patience and tactical depth. Take your time to analyze the board before making your first move.