A Fully Visible Deal
All cards are face up from the start, so you can inspect the whole puzzle rather than wait for hidden cards to appear. Trace which cards must move before you can reach an Ace or a useful low card.
FreeCell Solitaire
FreeCell Solitaire
FreeCell Solitaire: Plan Your Way from Ace to King
FreeCell is a solitaire card game in which all 52 cards are dealt face up across eight columns. Instead of drawing from a stock pile, you work with the layout in front of you: build descending sequences in alternating colors, uncover useful cards, and use four free cells for temporary storage. The goal is to complete four foundation piles, one for each suit, from Ace to King. The interesting decisions come from limited space. Moving a card out of the way can help now but leave fewer options later, so look for a route back before filling another free cell.
FreeCell Solitaire Rules
- 1Use one standard 52-card deck. The goal is to move every card to four foundations, with one foundation for each suit.
- 2The deal starts with all cards face up in eight tableau columns: four columns of seven cards and four columns of six.
- 3Build tableau columns downward by one rank, alternating red and black. For example, a black 8 may be placed on a red 9.
- 4Build each foundation upward in its own suit: Ace, 2, 3, and so on through Jack, Queen, and King.
- 5An exposed card at the bottom end of a column is available to move. Uncover a buried card by moving the cards below it to legal places first.
- 6Each of the four free cells holds at most one card. An empty tableau column may receive any available card, not only a King.
- 7You win when all four foundations are complete. If no legal move is available before that, the current position cannot continue.
How to Play FreeCell Solitaire? 📔
Read the Deal Before Moving
Start the game and look across all eight columns. Locate the Aces and the low cards that will follow them to the foundations. Notice which cards are already exposed and which are blocked; a short sequence of useful moves is better than moving a card without a plan.Know the Three Playing Areas
The eight tableau columns hold the cards you are arranging. The four free cells are temporary parking spaces, each for one card. The four foundations are your destination: build each one upward in a single suit, starting with its Ace.Build Down in Alternating Colors
Move an exposed card onto a card exactly one rank higher and of the opposite color. For example, a red 5 can go on a black 6. Follow the same rule when bringing a card back from a free cell into a column.Use Free Cells with an Exit Plan
Place a blocking card in an empty free cell when that opens a useful move. Before filling the next cell, identify where the parked cards could return. Keeping storage space available makes it easier to uncover low cards and rearrange awkward columns.Build the Four Foundations
Send an exposed Ace to a foundation, then add the 2, 3, and later cards of the same suit in order. Check both the columns and free cells for the next needed card. Keep considering your tableau moves as the foundations grow.Check Your Options and Finish
Continue until all 52 cards are on the four foundations. If a move seems blocked, check for an available free cell, an empty column, or another legal placement. Clearing one obstructing card can open a route that was easy to miss.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
What makes FreeCell different from other solitaire games?
FreeCell deals the full deck face up and has no stock pile to draw from. Its four free cells provide temporary storage. You can see the cards you need, but must work out how to reach them without closing off your options.
Which card can I move from a column?
The exposed card at the bottom end of a column is directly available. A card with other cards overlapping it cannot be taken out on its own. First move the cards below it to legal positions to uncover it.
How are free cells different from foundations?
A free cell temporarily holds any one available card, which can later return to the tableau. A foundation collects cards of a single suit in ascending order from Ace to King. Filling the foundations, not the free cells, wins the game.
What should I look for at the start?
Find accessible Aces and low cards, then look for a column you could clear without filling every free cell. Work backward from the card you want to release: decide where each blocking card will go before starting the rearrangement.
Why is my card move not allowed?
Check that the card is exposed and that the destination follows the rules. In a column, the receiving card must be one rank higher and the opposite color. A free cell must be empty; a foundation needs the next rank of its own suit.
Do I need to download FreeCell?
You can start the embedded game directly on this page; a separate app is not required. A larger screen can make the eight columns easier to read. Loading and controls still depend on your browser and device.
What if I cannot find another move?
Check the next cards needed by the foundations, the cards parked in free cells, and any empty columns. If every possible destination is blocked, the position cannot progress. Avoid filling your last free cell unless the move opens another useful space.
What can I put in an empty column?
An empty tableau column can receive an available card; it is not restricted to Kings. Use that flexibility to reorganize the board. Before occupying it, consider whether keeping it empty would help release a more important card.
Is every FreeCell deal solvable?
No. FreeCell is known for allowing many deals to be solved through planning, but not every possible deal has a solution. A difficult position also does not prove that the original deal was impossible: an earlier choice may have blocked the route.
How can I make better decisions?
Count your empty free cells and columns before a rearrangement, and plan the return path for temporarily parked cards. Try to expose low cards while keeping descending alternating-color sequences useful. Judge a move by the options it creates, not just by whether it is legal.
Why Play FreeCell Solitaire? 🏆
Four Small but Powerful Free Cells
Each free cell gives you one temporary holding place. These spaces make complex rearrangements possible, but using all four too quickly can leave you with no room to move the next blocking card.
Empty Columns Create Options
A cleared column is more than an empty space: it can receive a card and give you a new place to organize the tableau. Compare the benefit of opening a column with the cost of occupying your remaining free cells.
A Clear Ace-to-King Goal
Four suit-based foundations make progress easy to follow. The tableau is built downward in alternating colors, while the foundations are built upward in one suit—two different rules that work together to solve the deal.
Play in Your Browser
Open the game on this page without installing a separate card-game application. The guide below explains the board and legal moves, so you can refer to the rules while working through your current deal.
Planning Beyond the Next Move
A legal move is not always a useful move. The challenge is to create access, preserve working space, and avoid burying a card you will need soon. Small changes in move order can lead to very different positions.
