Welcome to Solitaire — one of the most popular card games out there. If you’ve never played it before, congratulations! You’re about to step into the fascinating world of Solitaire — a game that has captivated minds for centuries. Its rules are simple and easy to learn, but the emotions it brings are truly one of a kind.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the rules.
Klondike Solitaire, the classic version of the game, comes in three variations: Turn 1 (easy), Turn 3 (medium), and Hard Solitaire (the toughest challenge).
Let's take a look at the layout of Solitaire and its 4 main areas.
The tableau is the largest playing area. Here you make your main moves. It consistsof 28 cards organized in 7 columns, where the first column contains one card, the second column contains two cards, and so on. Only the top card in each is face up. From this area, you can move face-up cards to either the foundation or to another column on the tableau.
The stockpile is a stack of the remaining 24 cards, placed face down. When you need more cards during the game, simply draw from the stockpile.
The waste pile is where cards from the stockpile go when you flip them over. You can move the top card from the waste pile to the tableau or straight to the foundation — but only the top one! If the card on top doesn’t help right now, just keep drawing from the stockpile to add more cards to the waste pile.
At the top right of the playing area, you will find four foundation piles. These are used to build sequences of cards in ascending order by suit from the Ace to the King. The game is successfully over when all cards from all areas are set here in four piles in ascending order by suits.
You’ll also find helpful tools on the game board to assist you as you play.
In the digital version of Solitaire, you don't need to lay out the cards yourself; it is done automatically. If you play Solitaire with a physical deck of cards, check out our article on how to set up Solitaire.
The game’s objective is to build the four sequences of cards, one for each suit (hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds), in ascending order, from the Ace to the King.
To win Solitaire and place all the cards in the foundation piles you need to reveal all the face-down cards. Move cards around the tableau — when a face-down card is no longer covered, it flips over automatically. Just follow the basic rules for moving cards, and you’ll steadily work your way toward victory.
Cards can be placed on top of each other in the foundation piles, but they must be of the same suit and from the Ace to the King. Only the top card from each tableau column can be moved. The top card from the waste pile can also be moved directly to the foundation — if it’s the right suit and rank. Move the Aces to the foundation to start building stacks.
You can move any face-up card either to a foundation pile or to another column on the tableau. But you can only place a card on top of one that’s the opposite color and one rank higher — for example, a red 7 on a black 8, or a black Queen on a red King.
You can also move whole sequences of cards from one column to another, as long as they go in descending order and alternate colors (black, red, black, red, etc.). The sequence can start from any card, not necessarily from the King.
If you don’t see any moves on the tableau, you can draw a card from the stockpile. In Turn 1 mode, you draw one card at a time. In Turn 3, three cards are drawn at once, but only the top card is playable. If the top card doesn’t help, just keep drawing from the stockpile. When you run out of options, you can refresh the stockpile and keep playing.
When you remove all cards from any column on the tableau, you can fill that empty space with a King only or a sequence starting with a King.
Although there’s always an element of luck in Solitaire (since the cards are initially shuffled at the start), if you learn the rules well, make thoughtful moves, and use winning strategies — you’ll be playing Solitaire like a pro! So, why don't you give it a try? Start playing now and good luck!
