Which Solitaire Game Should You Play?

“Solitaire” is not one game. The word covers several single-player card games that use a standard deck but set the cards out in different ways. Some hide most of the pack under face-down cards and make you dig. Others deal everything face up and leave you moving cards through empty spaces. A few don't use foundations at all, and instead clear cards by matching pairs or by playing one rank above or below the waste card.

Some games are quick and others require more time. To help you choose which one to play, here is a breakdown of five classics.

Klondike: the one most people mean

When someone says they played Solitaire, they usually mean Klondike. Seven columns, most cards buried face down, and four foundation piles where you build each suit up from Ace to King. On the tableau you build down in alternating colours. Empty a column and only a King (or a run that starts with a King) can fill it.

Draw 1 flips one stock card at a time, so every card eventually sits on top. Draw 3 flips three at once. You can only play the top waste card, and cards under it stay locked until you clear them. Move cards between tableau columns to flip face-down cards and open new options, then start building your foundation runs when the time is right. When those moves pay off, the foundations fill and the hand is done.

Klondike suits people who want the familiar solitaire layout and a medium-length hand they can play again without much setup.

FreeCell: everything visible, space is the puzzle

FreeCell deals one deck into eight columns, all face up. There is no stock. Four free cells hold one card each. You build each suit up from Ace to King in the foundations, and you build down King to Ace in alternating colours in the tableau. Any exposed card can go into an empty column.

You move cards to free cells and empty columns and build on runs to progress the board. But be sure to keep at least one free cell open when you can. Fill all four without a way to free them again and the board locks up fast. When it all clicks the foundations fill fast and the road to success is clear.

If you like planning ahead and knowing all your options from the start then FreeCell is the game for you.

Spider: longer boards, same-suit clears

Spider uses two decks and ten columns. You win by clearing eight same-suit runs from King down to Ace, not by filling Ace-to-King foundations. Cards can stack down by rank even when suits mix, but only a clean same-suit run moves as a group or leaves the board.

Deal from the stock and one new card lands on every column. You can't deal while a column sits empty, so fill the gap first. Start on 1 Suit. 2 Suit and 4 Suit keep the same moves and make clean runs harder. Work the columns to free buried cards, build same-suit runs when you can, and save stock deals until you need them. When you finish a King-to-Ace run in one suit, that whole run leaves the board and the columns open up freeing up the board.

People who enjoy a bigger puzzle to untangle and have more time to spare will enjoy the challenge Spider offers.

Pyramid: pairs that add to 13

Pyramid doesn't build sequences. Twenty-eight cards form a seven-row pyramid, and the rest sit in stock. Remove exposed pairs that total 13. Ace with Queen, 2 with Jack, 3 with 10, 4 with 9, 5 with 8, 6 with 7. Kings are already 13, so they leave alone. Suits never matter.

A card is only free when nothing covers it. Seeing a face is not enough. Clear the pyramid to win, and leftover stock is fine. Take the pair that opens a higher row when you can, not just the first match on the bottom. Once the peak starts to collapse, the buried cards come free, and the board opens up.

If you want short-to-medium rounds based on simple number matching instead of long build sequences, then give Pyramid a go.

TriPeaks: short chains, quick clears

Three overlapping peaks hold 28 cards. Play an uncovered peak card that is one rank above or below the waste. Suits don't matter. The card you play becomes the new waste top, so you can keep chaining if the next rank is sitting open.

When nothing fits, draw from the stock. Clear the peaks and you win, and leftover stock is fine. Some modes let Ace meet King. Others treat them as dead ends. Scan all three peaks before you burn a draw, and when two cards both fit, take the one that uncovers a buried card. Keep a chain alive, and you can clear a peak in a few quick moves.

Got a short break and want something to fill the time? Then TriPeaks is perfect, its quick and can be played several times in quick succession.

Side by side

Game Main action Information Typical pace Best fit

Klondike Build alternating colours Face-down cards and stock Medium Familiar solitaire

FreeCell Manage open spaces All cards visible Medium Careful planning

Spider Complete same-suit runs Large partially hidden board Longer Extended puzzles

Pyramid Match cards totalling 13 Visible but blocked cards Short–medium Number matching

TriPeaks Chain adjacent ranks Partially covered peaks Short Quick sessions

Pick by mood

If you want the classic layout, start with Klondike on Draw 1 and chase face-down flips before you tidy the foundations.

Prefer no hidden cards, FreeCell shows the whole deal. Keep free cells and empty columns free so you can rearrange.

Have more time to spare and like untangling a mess, try Spider in 1 Suit before you move up to 2 or 4.

Enjoy number matching instead of stacking, Pyramid is the one. Clear pairs that open the peak and avoid those tempting matches that don't lead to the top.

Need something quick but just as satisfying, TriPeaks short chains and fast play is the perfect game to fill the gap.

Have you made a decision? Prefer to try them all? All five games are available on Solitaire Arcade, along with many other classic card games.