FreeCell

The basics

Rules: standard 52-card deck with four suits (clubs and spades black, diamonds and hearts red) and ranks Ace (low) to King. Layout is 8 tableau columns, 4 free cells and 4 foundation piles. All 52 cards are dealt face-up: the first 4 columns hold 7 cards, the last 4 hold 6. Move all cards to the foundations, building each suit from Ace to King. Tableau columns build downward in alternating colors (a card goes on a card one rank higher of the opposite color). Free cells hold one card each. Foundations build up by suit from Ace. You may move a single card or a valid descending alternating-color sequence; the longest sequence you can move at once is (empty free cells + 1) times 2 to the power of (empty columns). Double-click (double-tap) sends the top card of a column or a free cell into an empty free cell. After every move the game auto-moves safe low cards to the foundations: Aces and Twos always, higher cards only when both opposite-color foundations are at least that rank. Win when all four foundations hold 13 cards. Each deal has a number in the URL hash (#1 to #31999); change or remove the hash for a fresh random deal. Strategy: keep at least one free cell empty at all times, since a free cell is worth more than an extra move. An empty tableau column is even stronger (it doubles sequence-move capacity), so empty a column only when it frees a stuck card. Let Aces and low cards flow to the foundations early, but trust the auto-move and do not manually strand a card you still need as a base. Build long alternating sequences to expose buried cards. Plan backward from the card you need: find what blocks it and park those cards in free cells or move them onto other columns. When stuck, rebuild: move a parked card back to a column to re-form a sequence. Use the deal number to replay and improve. Common mistakes: filling all four free cells (no parking space, deadlocks); ignoring empty columns (they multiply how many cards you can move); building sequences in the wrong color order (must alternate); forgetting that double-click sends to a free cell, not a foundation; manually dragging a card to a foundation that you still need to build a column. FAQ: What is FreeCell? Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, one suit at a time from Ace to King, using four free cells. Can every deal be solved? Nearly all FreeCell deals are solvable; this version deals 32000 numbered games, a few of which are not. What do the free cells do? They park one card each as temporary storage. How many cards can I move at once? (Empty free cells + 1) times 2 to the power of empty columns. How do I get a new deal? Change or remove the number in the URL hash. Is it free? Yes, in the browser with no download.

Objective:

Move all 52 cards to the four foundation stacks, one suit at a time from Ace to King, using four free cells as temporary parking.

Controls:

Click or tap to select and place cards on desktop and touch screens; double-click (double-tap) sends a top card to a free cell; tap New deal for a fresh game.