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Klondike Solitaire: Play 100% Free and Online

Klondike Solitaire

A Quick Guide

  • Klondike Turn-One Solitaire uses one standard deck with 52 cards.

    Klondike Turn-One Solitaire uses one standard deck with 52 cards.

  • The game’s objective is to build four stacks of cards, one for each suit, in ascending order in the Foundation piles.

    The game’s objective is to build four stacks of cards, one for each suit, in ascending order in the Foundation piles.

  • You can move cards between columns in the Tableau in ascending order, ensuring alternating colors.

    You can move cards between columns in the Tableau in ascending order, ensuring alternating colors.

  • You can draw only one card from the Stockpile. The drawn cards can be used to complete sequences in the Tableau or the Foundation piles. If you can’t or don’t want to move the drawn card, you can draw another card by simply clicking on the Stockpile again.

    You can draw only one card from the Stockpile. The drawn cards can be used to complete sequences in the Tableau or the Foundation piles. If you can’t or don’t want to move the drawn card, you can draw another card by simply clicking on the Stockpile again.

  • You can fill empty columns by moving a King there or a sequence starting with a King.

    You can fill empty columns by moving a King there or a sequence starting with a King.

Video Tutorial

How to play Klondike Solitaire in a few minutes

How To Play Klondike Solitaire, Video Tutorial

Become a Part of Klondike Solitaire’s Legacy!

Card games have been around for several centuries, serving as a fantastic way to socialize and bring people together because of their competitive nature. However, Klondike Solitaire stands out by being a solitary game where your only opponent is your own personal best record! This focus on self-challenge is part of why Klondike Solitaire has endured over time, providing a way to stave off boredom and set your creativity loose.

Its gameplay focuses on bringing order to a chaotic arrangement of cards by building sequences based on rank and color. Since these cards are drawn randomly from the main deck, you can say that luck plays a role in whether you get an easily winnable game or not. However, a player’s skill and knowledge of the game is what truly dictates their win rate. And luckily, these are factors that are entirely under your control!

Klondike Solitaire not only offers a fun pastime but also acts as a great workout for your mind. In short, it’s a game you absolutely don’t want to miss out on!

Are you ready to explore?

Playing Klondike Solitaire — The Layout

Klondike Solitaire can be divided into four parts: the Tableau, the Stockpile, the Wastepile, and the Foundation piles. Having a solid understanding of how the cards move around these segments is crucial for becoming a successful Solitaire player. Not to mention, this game provides an excellent foundation that you can build upon to tackle more challenging and complex versions of Klondike Solitaire.

  • 1.The Tableau

    The Tableau features 28 cards drawn randomly from the deck and arranged into seven columns. The number of cards in each column grows as you move from left to right. Remember that the first column has one card, the second has two, the third has three, and so on. Only the top card in each column is face-up and available for play.

    The Tableau
  • 2.The Stockpile

    The cards not dealt into the Tableau are placed face-down in the Stockpile. Under the Turn-One rule, you draw one card at a time. Once a card drawn from the Stockpile is moved to the Tableau or Foundation piles, it can’t be returned to the Stockpile.

    The Stockpile
  • 3.The Waste Pile

    The Wastepile is the empty space next to the Stockpile, which houses the drawn cards. You can move these cards from the Wastepile to the Tableau or Foundation piles to help build sequences. When the Wastepile is full and the Stockpile is empty, you transfer all the cards back to the Stockpile and resume drawing from there.

    The Waste Pile
  • 4.The Foundation

    The Foundation consists of four piles, one for each suit. To win, you must fill each pile with cards in ascending order, from Ace to King. Cards can be moved to the Foundation from both the Stockpile and the Tableau. However, once a card is placed in the Foundation, it can only be moved back to the Tableau, not to the Stockpile.

    The Foundation

Add Your Chapter to the Timeless Book of Klondike Solitaire!

Played by millions of players worldwide, Klondike Solitaire eagerly awaits to be part of your gaming experience! So what are you waiting for? Start playing now!

King of the Solitaire

Get Ready to Add Klondike Solitaire to Your Gaming Repertoire!

  • 1.Klondike Solitaire is a relatively simple game to learn, with just a few rules dictating its dynamics. The main challenge presented by the game lies in being consistent with it — the more time and effort you spend playing it, the quicker you’ll start winning it. Luckily, our platform provides the ideal environment to master this game, with all the essential resources right at your fingertips. All you have to do is get started with the game, and let us take care of the rest!

    Klondike Solitaire is a relatively simple game to learn, with just a few rules dictating its dynamics. The main challenge presented by the game lies in being consistent with it — the more time and effort you spend playing it, the quicker you’ll start winning it. Luckily, our platform provides the ideal environment to master this game, with all the essential resources right at your fingertips. All you have to do is get started with the game, and let us take care of the rest!
  • 2.In the Tableau, you can move the top card from one column to another if it’s one rank lower and a different color. For example, you could place a 5 of Hearts (a red card) on a 6 of Spades (a black card). This rule also extends to include sequences, so you can move an entire stack of cards if they’re arranged in descending order. Another key point you should know about the Tableau is regarding empty columns. As you play, you’ll likely create some unfilled spaces. When that happens, you can only fill them with a King or a sequence starting with a King.

    In the Tableau, you can move the top card from one column to another if it’s one rank lower and a different color. For example, you could place a 5 of Hearts (a red card) on a 6 of Spades (a black card). This rule also extends to include sequences, so you can move an entire stack of cards if they’re arranged in descending order. Another key point you should know about the Tableau is regarding empty columns. As you play, you’ll likely create some unfilled spaces. When that happens, you can only fill them with a King or a sequence starting with a King.
  • 3.The Stockpile is the heart of the game, continually supplying cards to the Tableau to keep the game running. It allows you to draw new cards to build sequences, typically when you’ve run out of moves in the Tableau. But don’t forget, it’s also useful for finding cards to complete sequences in the Foundation piles. If your Stockpile runs out, you can always refill it with cards from the Wastepile.

    The Stockpile is the heart of the game, continually supplying cards to the Tableau to keep the game running. It allows you to draw new cards to build sequences, typically when you’ve run out of moves in the Tableau. But don’t forget, it’s also useful for finding cards to complete sequences in the Foundation piles. If your Stockpile runs out, you can always refill it with cards from the Wastepile.

The Challenge

Building a Foundation pile for each suit in ascending order.

King of the Solitaire

Light-Bulb Tip!

If you find yourself getting stuck in the game more often than you’d like, remember that the HINT button is always there for you to use. It highlights a moveable card and its destination to help you move your game forward.

For the Love of Keyboard Shortcuts

Hotkeys are the ultimate time-savers regardless of what application or website you’re using. To make sure you’re getting the best experience on our platform, use these handy keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac!

Windows

  • Undo:
    Ctr
    +
    Z
    or
    Backspace
  • Hint:
    H
  • Navigate:
  • Select:
    Space
    (once)
  • Move:
    Space
    in the new spot

Mac

  • Undo:
    delete
    or
  • Hint:
    H
  • Navigate:
  • Select:
    Space
    (once)
  • Move:
    Space
    in the new spot

Equip Yourself with These Game-Changing Strategies!

Congratulations! By now you should not only have a good grasp of the game’s layout but should also be familiar with all the rules. However, we still recommend holding off on starting the game until you’ve explored a few key strategies that can significantly boost your chances of success at the game.

Winning Tips and Quirky Tricks

  • Fill the Foundation Piles with Aces as Soon as Possible

    Unless you’re lucky enough to draw a Tableau that has at least one Ace among its topmost cards, your Foundation piles might sit idle until you finally uncover an Ace. The drawback of playing like this is that you’ll start building your Foundation piles much later, missing out on all those cards that could’ve been moved there during the early stages of the game. A wiser strategy, therefore, is to cycle through the Stockpile at the start of the game and move any Aces you find to the Foundation piles.

  • Prioritize Moves That Empty Columns in the Tableau

    Oftentimes, you’ll encounter situations where you’ll empty a column in the Tableau. These openings provide a golden opportunity for you to deal with any accumulated Kings you might have in your Stockpile or the Tableau. These cards are often buried in a sequence, preventing you from uncovering the cards beneath them. Therefore, make sure to give preference to moves that lead toward empty columns. Otherwise, it becomes really difficult to progress with the game if you don’t have any spot to move Kings since they are the last cards to go to the Foundation piles.

  • Don’t Get Too Reliant on the Stockpile

    The Stockpile might be a great way to introduce fresh cards to your layout and keep your game moving, but don’t become over-reliant on it. Remember that most of the game’s action is supposed to be moving cards already present in the Tableau. So before you draw cards from the Stockpile, be 100% certain that there are no more moves to make the Tableau. This strategy will prevent you from missing out on crucial moves that clear up the Tableau and potentially build sequences in the Foundation piles.

  • Use the UNDO Button to Learn Quickly

    Mistakes such as moving a card to the wrong column or missing out on a card in the Stockpile might be avoidable with a more patient playstyle, but still, they’re very common. Now, you might think that in these situations, using the UNDO button is opting for the “easy” route of going back on your original decision. But in reality, using the UNDO button actually helps players get a better grip on the game. This is because the process of identifying and correcting mistakes closely mimics active learning, which is arguably the most efficient way to learn hard things.

  • Use the HINT Button Sparingly

    The HINT button is a great way to take some load off your brain by having the game figure out the best moves to make. However, if you find yourself using it for every single move, it might be time to take a step back and realize that this strategy is actually removing all the challenges from the game. Considering that the appeal of the game rests on it being just challenging enough for your skill level, draining the difficulty from this game would only result in you getting bored of it more quickly. So make sure that you’re mindful about how frequently you hit that HINT button!

  • Fun Fact!

    May 22nd is celebrated as National Solitaire Day. Microsoft introduced this day in 2018 to commemorate the anniversary of Solitaire’s inclusion in Windows.

  • Did you know?

    There are over 500 known Solitaire variations, with the most popular ones being Klondike, Spider, and FreeCell!

  • Fun Fact!

    The original creator of the first Solitaire game for Microsoft Windows was just an intern! His name is Wes Cherry, and he has never received any royalties for his work.

  • Did you know?

    Microsoft included Solitaire in Windows to teach users how to drag and drop items using the mouse, a new skill for many at the time.

  • Fun Fact!

    It’s said that Napoleon Bonaparte was a huge fan of Solitaire and reportedly often played the game during his days of exile on the island of Saint Helena.

We Believe In You!

Now that you’re fully prepared to jump into the fascinating world of Klondike Solitaire, it’s a good time for us to tell you that this is just the beginning of your journey! Klondike Solitaire is a game that often merges its variants into new, more challenging versions. So once you become a Solitaire player, you never again have to worry about getting bored with a particular game — Solitaire is all about novelty!

More Power to You!

We understand that playing Solitaire is not just about the game — it’s about the experience. Our platform is built to bring players to the heart of Solitaire. Your triumphs, challenges, and overall play experience drive our purpose. Let’s win together!

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