How to play Klondike Solitaire
Klondike is the classic single-player card game. The goal is to move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
The layout
- Tableau: seven columns, dealt 1–7 cards. Only the bottom card of each column starts face up.
- Foundations: four piles (top left) — build each up by suit, Ace → King.
- Stock & waste: the remaining 24 cards. Tap the stock to turn one up.
The rules
- Build the tableau down in alternating colours — e.g. a red 6 on a black 7.
- Move an ordered, alternating-colour run as a group.
- Only a King may move onto an empty column.
- Turn over a face-down card whenever the card above it leaves.
- Send cards to the foundations in suit order, Ace first.
Controls
- Drag a card or run to place it where you want.
- Tap a card to auto-move it (it goes to a foundation if it can, otherwise the best column).
- Tap the deck (top right) to draw; tap again when empty to recycle the waste.
- Undo reverses your last move — use it freely.
Winning strategy
- Free the face-down cards first. Your priority is turning hidden cards face up — they're useless until exposed.
- Don't rush to the foundations. Low cards on the tableau are handy landing spots for the other colour; sending them up too early can strand you.
- Empty a column for a King. An open column is powerful, but only a King fills it — plan which King before you clear it.
- Work the stock methodically. Cycle the deck to see what's available, and remember the order cards reappear in.
- Undo and experiment. Klondike rewards trying a line and backing out — there's no penalty.
Common mistakes
- Flushing cards to the foundations too soon. A 2 or 3 left on the tableau is a useful landing spot for the opposite colour; promote low cards only when you no longer need them as anchors.
- Emptying a column with no King ready. An empty column can only be filled by a King, so clearing one with no King to move is often a wasted, dead space.
- Drawing through the stock blindly. Cycle it deliberately and note the order cards return in, so you know what's coming before you commit a tableau move.
Frequently asked questions
- Is every Klondike game winnable?
- Not every deal is solvable, but a large majority are with good play. Use Undo freely to explore lines and back out of dead ends.
- How does the draw work?
- Tap the stock to turn cards up to the waste; when the stock empties, tap again to recycle the waste and go through it once more.
- Is it free, and is there a daily game?
- Yes — free, no login, with unlimited deals plus a Daily Challenge.