Classic solitaire, free online – the same Klondike patience game many people first played on an office computer. Deal a new game, build four piles from Ace to King, and take as long as you like. No download, no sign-up, and it works on a phone just as well as on a laptop.
What is classic solitaire?
Solitaire (in the UK often called Patience) is a card game for one person. The best-known version is Klondike. You use one normal deck of 52 cards. Your goal is to move every card onto the four foundation piles at the top – one pile per suit, from Ace up to King.
Solitaire rules
- Seven columns are dealt at the start. Only the bottom card of each column is face up.
- In the columns, build down in alternating colours: a red 7 goes on a black 8.
- You can move a whole run of face-up cards together, as long as the run is in order.
- When you uncover a face-down card, it turns over automatically.
- Only a King (or a run that starts with a King) can go into an empty column.
- The foundations at the top are built up by suit: A, 2, 3 … K of hearts, and so on.
- Tap the deck to turn cards. Draw 1 turns one card, Draw 3 turns three (only the top one can be played).
- When all 52 cards are on the foundations, you win.
How to use the buttons
- Tap a card, then tap where it should go. Tap the same card again to cancel.
- Double-tap a card to send it straight to a foundation pile.
- Undo takes back moves – as many as you like. On a keyboard press U.
- Auto finish moves every card it can to the foundations for you.
- New game deals fresh cards. Space turns the deck on a keyboard.
What solitaire does for your mind
- Planning: good players think two or three moves ahead before they touch a card.
- Focus: you keep track of colours, numbers and hidden cards at the same time.
- Patience: the old name says it all – slow, careful play wins more games than fast tapping.
- Problem solving: when you are stuck, you look for a different order of moves.
- A calm break: one game takes a few minutes, with no time pressure and no opponent.
- A sense of achievement: watching the cards fly home at the end feels good.
Solitaire is a game for fun and relaxation. It is not a medical brain treatment.
Who is it for?
- Beginners: start with Draw 1. More deals can be won, and Undo lets you learn without stress.
- Daily players: one quick game with coffee – your best score is saved on this device.
- Experienced players: switch to Draw 3 for the classic challenge.
- Older players: large cards, tap instead of drag, and no timer you have to beat.
Solitaire tips to win more games
- Turn face-down cards first. A move that uncovers a hidden card is almost always better than one that does not.
- Work on the longest columns. The right-hand columns hide the most cards.
- Do not empty a column unless you have a King ready to put there.
- Think before you send cards up. Low cards (A, 2) belong on the foundations at once, but a 5 or 6 may still be useful in the columns.
- Choose your King carefully. If a red Queen is waiting, put a black King in the empty column.
- Use the deck slowly. In Draw 3, cycling the deck changes which cards you can reach – plan for it.
- Try, then undo. Undo is unlimited here. Test a line of play and step back if it dead-ends.
A short history of Klondike solitaire
The earliest written rules for this game appear in a 1907 edition of Hoyle's Games as “Seven-Card Klondike”. Nobody knows for sure where the name comes from; the Klondike gold rush is a popular guess, but there is no proof.
The game became world famous in 1990, when Microsoft added Solitaire to Windows 3.0. Microsoft wanted it to help people who were new to computers get used to the mouse – dragging a card is exactly the drag-and-drop move you use everywhere else. The first version was written by a summer intern, Wes Cherry, and in 2019 it was added to the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Fun fact: nobody knows the exact share of Klondike deals that can be won. A computer study estimated that about 82% of Draw 3 deals are winnable if you could see every card – real players, who cannot, win far fewer.
Questions people ask
Is this classic solitaire really free?
Yes. It is free to play in your browser with no download, no account and no paid hints.
What is the difference between Draw 1 and Draw 3?
Draw 1 turns one card from the deck at a time, so you can reach every card. Draw 3 turns three, and only the top one can be played, which makes the game harder.
Can every solitaire game be won?
No. Some Klondike deals cannot be won however well you play. Draw 1 games are won much more often than Draw 3 games.
What can go into an empty column?
Only a King, or a run of cards that starts with a King.
Is Klondike the same as Patience?
Yes. In the UK solitaire games are often called Patience, and Klondike is the most famous one.
Is my score saved?
Your best score and your Draw 1 or Draw 3 choice are saved in this browser on this device.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a card and then tap where it should go. Double-tap sends a card straight to the foundations.
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Sources
This page is for fun and general information, not medical advice.