How to Play FreeCell

FreeCell is a solitaire card game where all 52 cards are dealt face up from the start. Unlike Klondike where luck plays a major role, FreeCell is almost entirely a game of skill — nearly every deal is winnable with the right strategy.

Objective

Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit from Ace up to King.

Layout

• 8 tableau columns: First 4 columns have 7 cards, last 4 have 6 cards — all face up
• 4 free cells: Temporary storage (top-left) — hold one card each
• 4 foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King (top-right)

Rules

• Tableau building: Build down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red)
• Free cells: Any single card can be placed in an empty free cell
• Empty columns: Any card or valid sequence can be moved to an empty column
• Foundations: Build up by suit (Ace, 2, 3... King). Once placed, cards stay

Moving Multiple Cards (Supermove)

You can move a sequence of cards as a group if they form a valid descending alternating-color sequence. The number of cards you can move at once depends on available space:

Max cards = (empty free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns)

• 0 free cells, 0 empty columns = move 1 card
• 2 free cells, 0 empty columns = move 3 cards
• 4 free cells, 1 empty column = move 10 cards
• 4 free cells, 2 empty columns = move 20 cards

Strategy Tips

• Plan ahead: All cards are visible — think several moves ahead before acting
• Keep free cells open: Empty cells = more flexibility. Filling all 4 severely limits your moves
• Uncover low cards: Prioritize freeing Aces and 2s buried in columns
• Empty columns are gold: An empty column is worth more than a free cell (doubles your move capacity)
• Build in suit when possible: Sequences of the same suit are easier to move to foundations later
• Use undo freely: Experiment with moves and undo if they do not work out
• Work on all columns: Avoid focusing on one column while others become tangled

Auto-Complete

When all tableau columns are in perfect descending alternating-color order and free cells are empty, the game auto-completes by moving all cards to foundations automatically.

Winning

The game is won when all 52 cards are on the foundations (4 piles of 13, Ace through King in each suit). Nearly 99.999% of FreeCell deals are solvable — if you get stuck, try a different approach rather than giving up.

Play FreeCell Online for Free — all cards face up, pure strategy!