How to play FreeCell
FreeCell is an open-information Solitaire: all 52 cards are dealt face up, so every game is a puzzle you can reason through. The goal is to build the four foundations from Ace to King.
The layout
- Eight columns hold all 52 cards, face up, from the start.
- Four free cells (top left) each store a single card.
- Four foundations (top right) build up by suit, Ace → King.
The rules
- Build columns down in alternating colours.
- A free cell holds one card of any kind.
- Any card may move onto an empty column.
- You can move a run of several cards at once only if you have the space to do it one card at a time: the limit is (1 + free cells) × 2(empty columns).
Controls
- Drag a card or run to place it.
- Tap a card to auto-move it — foundation first, otherwise a sensible column or free cell.
- Undo reverses your last move.
Winning strategy
- Keep free cells empty. Each occupied cell halves your ability to move runs. Cells are temporary parking, not storage.
- Make an empty column early. Empty columns are even more valuable than free cells — they multiply how many cards you can shift.
- Dig for the Aces and twos. Get the low cards onto the foundations so they stop blocking the columns.
- Plan the whole sequence. Before you start a long move, count your free cells and empty columns to be sure the run will land.
- Don't bury what you need. Since you can see every card, look ahead before dropping a card on top of one you'll want soon.