Compare the most popular solitaire games including Klondike, Spider, FreeCell and more. Learn rules, difficulty levels and play free online.
Solitaire isn't just one game — it's a whole family of card games, each with its own rules, rhythm, and personality. When most people say solitaire, they mean Klondike, the classic patience game that's been on personal computers since the early 1990s. But the world of free solitaire online is far richer than that single version. Spider Solitaire uses two decks and ten columns. FreeCell shows every card face-up from the start. Pyramid challenges you to pair cards that add up to 13. TriPeaks is fast, chain-based, and arcade-like in its energy.
Solitaire isn't just one game — it's a whole family of card games, each with its own rules, rhythm, and personality. When most people say solitaire, they mean Klondike, the classic patience game that's been on personal computers since the early 1990s. But the world of free solitaire online is far richer than that single version. Spider Solitaire uses two decks and ten columns. FreeCell shows every card face-up from the start. Pyramid challenges you to pair cards that add up to 13. TriPeaks is fast, chain-based, and arcade-like in its energy.
Every one of these solitaire card games is free to play online right now — no downloads, no sign-ups, just instant play in any browser. And each one offers a completely different experience: some are quick and casual, some are deep and strategic, and some sit comfortably in between. Understanding what makes each variation unique helps you choose the right game for any mood or moment.
This guide explains all five major solitaire variations in full — rules, strategy, difficulty, and what kind of player each game suits best. Whether you're completely new to solitaire or a seasoned Klondike player looking to branch out, this is everything you need to know. You can start playing any of these games right now at Play Solitaire online.
Klondike is the original free solitaire game — the version so ubiquitous that most people simply call it solitaire. It became famous as a pre-installed game on Windows computers, and it remains the most played patience game in the world by a considerable margin. For good reason: the rules are intuitive, the games are the right length, and the satisfaction of clearing all four foundations never gets old.
A standard Klondike game uses one 52-card deck. Cards are dealt into seven tableau columns — one card in the first, two in the second, and so on up to seven in the seventh. Only the bottom card of each column is face-up; all others are face-down. The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile in the top-left corner.
Your goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles in the top-right corner, building each foundation from Ace to King in the correct suit. On the tableau, cards are placed in descending order and alternating colours — a red card on a black card one rank higher, or vice versa. You can move individual cards or whole ordered sequences at once.
When you run out of tableau moves, draw from the stock pile. In Turn 1 mode (recommended for beginners), one card is drawn at a time. In Turn 3 mode (harder), three are drawn at once with only the top card playable. The stock can be recycled when empty.
Klondike in Turn 1 mode has an estimated win rate of 33–43% with good play. Turn 3 drops to around 11–15%. This makes Turn 1 genuinely encouraging for new players, while Turn 3 offers a meaningful challenge for experienced ones. A typical game takes ten to twenty minutes, making it ideal for a mid-length casual session.
Best for: All players. The natural starting point for anyone new to solitaire, and a satisfying game for experienced players who want a reliable classic.
Spider Solitaire is the ambitious, large-scale sequel to Klondike. It uses two full decks (104 cards), ten tableau columns, and a completely different win condition. Instead of sending individual cards to foundations, you build complete thirteen-card sequences — King down to Ace — within the tableau itself. Each completed sequence is automatically cleared from the board. Complete all eight sequences and the game is won.
At the start of a Spider Solitaire game, 54 cards are dealt face-down to the ten tableau columns, with one face-up card on each column. The remaining 50 cards form five stock piles of ten, used to deal new rows of cards when needed.
Cards are moved onto tableau cards of the next-higher rank — a 7 on an 8, a Jack on a Queen. In the one-suit version (all spades), colour and suit don't matter — only rank. In the two-suit version (spades and hearts), sequences must be built within the same suit. In the four-suit version (all four suits), sequences must be entirely same-suit, making it the hardest variant of all.
When you run out of useful moves, deal from the stock pile — one card lands on each tableau column simultaneously. You cannot deal if any column is empty.
One-suit Spider is the most accessible variant and a natural step up from Klondike. Two-suit is significantly harder, and four-suit is considered one of the most challenging solitaire card games available. Games tend to run fifteen to thirty minutes, making Spider ideal for a longer, more immersive session.
Best for: Players who've mastered Klondike and want a more expansive, deeply satisfying challenge. One-suit is the perfect entry point.
Our full Spider Solitaire guide covers everything from setup to advanced strategy.
FreeCell is the most strategically pure of all the major solitaire variations. What sets it apart immediately is that all 52 cards are dealt face-up at the very start of every game — there are no hidden cards at all. You can see the complete state of the board from move one, which means every decision is made with full information. This transforms the game from a battle against luck into a pure test of skill and planning.
In FreeCell, all 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight tableau columns. The first four columns have seven cards each; the remaining four have six each. At the top of the screen are two sets of slots: four free cells on the left, and four foundation piles on the right.
Free cells are temporary holding spaces — you can move any single card into a free cell at any time, and retrieve it later. This is the core mechanic that gives the game its name and its strategic depth. With four free cells, you have four moves' worth of flexibility at any given moment.
Tableau moves follow the same alternating colour, descending rank rule as Klondike — but because you can only physically move one card at a time, sequences can only be moved as a group if there are enough free cells and empty columns available to support the move. The more free cells you keep empty, the more powerful your position.
Foundation piles are built exactly as in Klondike — Ace to King by suit. Win by completing all four foundations.
FreeCell is famous for being almost entirely skill-based. Fewer than one percent of all FreeCell deals are mathematically unsolvable — meaning that if you lose, it's almost always because of a strategic mistake. This makes it uniquely satisfying: you always know that a win was within reach, which motivates careful, thoughtful play. A typical game takes ten to twenty minutes.
Best for: Players who enjoy strategic, logical thinking. Ideal for anyone who finds Klondike too luck-dependent and wants a game where skill determines the outcome.
Our FreeCell strategy guide covers the key tactics and techniques for winning consistently.
Pyramid Solitaire is visually unlike any other solitaire variation — and one of the fastest to play. The layout is immediately distinctive: cards are arranged in a triangle shape, with one card at the apex, two below it, three below those, and so on down to a base row of seven cards. The remaining cards form a stock pile and waste pile in the corner.
The goal in Pyramid is to remove all 28 pyramid cards (plus stock cards) by pairing them into combinations that add up to 13. Kings count as 13 and can be removed alone. Queens (12) pair with Aces (1). Jacks (11) pair with 2s. 10s pair with 3s. 9s with 4s. 8s with 5s. 7s with 6s.
A card can only be removed when it is fully uncovered — meaning no cards from the row below are still overlapping it. This creates a sequence of decisions: which cards to remove first to uncover the ones you need underneath. Cards can also be paired between the pyramid and the stock pile waste, or between two stock pile cards.
When you run out of pairings on the pyramid, draw from the stock pile to add cards to the waste pile and try to create new pairs. Most online versions allow the stock to be recycled once or twice.
Pyramid has a relatively low win rate compared to other solitaire variations — many deals are not mathematically solvable, and even solvable ones require careful sequencing. However, games are short (typically five to ten minutes), and the loss condition arrives quickly and cleanly, making it easy to start a new game without frustration. The combination-finding mechanic makes it feel more like a puzzle game than a traditional card game.
Best for: Players who want something quick, visually distinctive, and mentally engaging in short bursts. Great for breaks of five to ten minutes.
TriPeaks — also written Tri Peaks or Three Peaks — is the most immediately accessible and fast-paced of all the major solitaire variations. It has an almost arcade quality to it: the rules are simple enough to grasp in under a minute, and the gameplay rewards quick thinking and chain-building more than deep strategic planning.
The TriPeaks layout features three overlapping pyramids of face-down cards, with a row of face-up cards forming the base across the bottom of all three. A stock pile at the bottom of the screen is used to draw additional cards.
The goal is to clear all the cards from the three peaks by playing them sequentially onto the waste pile. A card can be played onto the waste pile if it is one rank above or below the current top card of the waste pile — crucially, you can go both up and down. If the waste pile shows a 7, you can play either a 6 or an 8. If you then played an 8, you can follow with a 7 or a 9.
This up-or-down rule creates the signature feature of TriPeaks: chain reactions. When a long run of consecutively ranked cards lines up, you can clear multiple cards in rapid succession — 5, 6, 7, 8, 7, 6, 5 in a single chain, for example — racking up points and clearing significant portions of the pyramid at once. Chains are the heart of the game and one of the most satisfying moments in all of casual solitaire.
When no playable card is available on the peaks, draw from the stock pile to add a new card to the waste pile and continue. If the stock runs out and no more moves are available, the game is over.
TriPeaks is the easiest solitaire variation to learn and one of the fastest to play — a typical game takes five to ten minutes. Not every deal is winnable, but the short game length means a new deal is always just a click away. The chain mechanics give even simple games a rhythm and momentum that keeps the experience feeling lively and engaging.
Best for: Players who want a quick, light, fast-paced game. Ideal for very short breaks, or for players who prefer intuitive, momentum-driven gameplay over deep strategic planning.
Klondike — 1 deck, 7 columns, Turn 1 or Turn 3 stock drawing, alternating colour sequences in the tableau, Ace-to-King foundations. Win rate: 33–43% (Turn 1). Game length: 10–20 minutes.
Spider Solitaire — 2 decks, 10 columns, same-rank sequences (same suit in 2- and 4-suit versions), King-to-Ace sequences cleared automatically. Difficulty varies dramatically by number of suits. Game length: 15–30 minutes.
FreeCell — 1 deck, 8 columns all face-up, 4 free cell holding spaces, alternating colour sequences, Ace-to-King foundations. Win rate: over 99%. Game length: 10–20 minutes.
Pyramid — 1 deck, pyramid layout, pair-to-13 removal mechanic, no traditional foundations. Win rate: low. Game length: 5–10 minutes.
TriPeaks — 1 deck, 3 peak layout, one-rank-up-or-down chain mechanic, no traditional foundations. Win rate: moderate. Game length: 5–10 minutes.
Start with the right game for your experience level. If you're new to solitaire, Klondike Turn 1 or TriPeaks are the natural entry points. Both have straightforward rules and short enough games that losing doesn't feel costly. FreeCell and Spider (two-suit or four-suit) are best approached after you've built some experience with the simpler variants.
Use undo freely in every game. Every good free solitaire platform offers unlimited undo. In all five variations, undoing a move and trying a different approach is how you learn the game's patterns and improve your strategic instincts over time. There is no penalty for using undo — embrace it.
Match the game to your available time. TriPeaks and Pyramid are five-to-ten-minute games. Klondike and FreeCell typically run ten to twenty minutes. Spider Solitaire can take twenty to thirty minutes or more. Knowing this in advance helps you choose the right game for the time you actually have.
Switch between variations to stay engaged. Solitaire can become routine if you play only one version for months on end. Rotating between Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, and the faster games keeps the experience fresh and ensures you're continually developing new skills. Each variation strengthens different aspects of card game thinking.
Practise daily with a curated challenge. Our Spider Solitaire guide and our broader free solitaire collection both link to daily games that rotate through different variation types. Playing one curated game per day builds pattern recognition, tracks your improvement, and keeps solitaire a consistent and enjoyable part of your routine.
The five major solitaire variations available free online are Klondike, Spider Solitaire, FreeCell, Pyramid, and TriPeaks. Klondike is the classic — one deck, seven columns, alternating colour sequences, and four Ace-to-King foundations. Spider uses two decks and ten columns; the goal is to build complete King-to-Ace sequences within the tableau. FreeCell deals all cards face-up from the start and uses four free cell holding spaces for unparalleled strategic depth. Pyramid challenges you to remove pairs of cards summing to 13 from a triangular layout. TriPeaks uses a three-pyramid layout and an up-or-down chain mechanic that creates fast, fluid gameplay.
Beyond these five, the broader world of solitaire card games includes dozens of other variations — Canfield, Golf, Scorpion, Yukon, and many more — but Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, and TriPeaks are the five you'll find on virtually every free solitaire online platform, and the five worth mastering first. Start exploring at Play Solitaire online and try each one.
The best way to choose is to match the game to your mood, your available time, and your experience level. For a quick five-to-ten-minute game, TriPeaks or Pyramid are ideal — fast, light, and easy to start and stop. For a classic, unhurried ten-to-twenty-minute session, Klondike is the perennial go-to. For something more strategic and mentally engaging, FreeCell is the best choice: all cards are visible from the start, almost every game is winnable, and the outcome is almost entirely determined by how carefully you play.
If you've already mastered Klondike and want a bigger, more complex challenge, Spider Solitaire one-suit is the natural next step. It uses two decks, ten columns, and a different win condition that makes it feel genuinely different to anything you've played before. Two-suit and four-suit Spider are available for when you're ready for an even greater challenge.
As a general rule: new players should start with Klondike Turn 1 or TriPeaks. Intermediate players will enjoy FreeCell and Spider one-suit. Advanced players seeking maximum difficulty should try Spider four-suit or Klondike Turn 3. Our FreeCell strategy guide and Spider Solitaire guide are both excellent next reads depending on which direction you want to take your game.
Klondike and Spider Solitaire differ primarily in their setup and gameplay mechanics. In Klondike, you deal seven tableau piles with only the top card face-up, and your goal is to build four foundation piles in ascending order by suit. In contrast, Spider Solitaire uses two decks and features eight tableau piles where you can build sequences of cards in descending order, regardless of suit. Additionally, Spider has a more complex strategy due to the need to create complete sequences of cards before moving them to the foundation. Understanding these differences can help you choose which game suits your style.
Improving your FreeCell Solitaire skills involves a mix of strategy and practice. Start by focusing on the tableau and try to uncover hidden cards as quickly as possible. Always prioritize moving cards to the foundation when it’s advantageous, but also consider the impact on your tableau. Use the four free cells wisely; they can temporarily hold cards to help you rearrange the tableau effectively. Additionally, practice playing without using the undo feature to enhance your decision-making skills. Watching tutorial videos or reading strategy guides can also provide insights into advanced techniques.
To win at Pyramid Solitaire, focus on pairing cards that total 13, as this is the key to removing cards from the pyramid. Always look for the most accessible cards first, especially those that are uncovered and have no cards on top. Prioritize removing Kings (13) and Queens (12) since they can only be paired with specific cards. Additionally, keep an eye on the draw pile; plan your moves based on the cards you can access. If possible, try to leave cards in the pyramid that can help you make future pairs. Practicing regularly will help you recognize patterns and improve your overall strategy.