FreeCell Rules - Complete Guide

FreeCell is one of the most popular solitaire card games ever created and is widely considered the most strategic variant of solitaire. Unlike Klondike, where hidden cards introduce an element of luck, FreeCell deals all 52 cards face-up from the very start. This means every game is a pure test of skill and planning — you can see every card before making your first move. The game's origins trace back to 1978, when Paul Alfille created a computerized version for the PLATO educational system. However, FreeCell truly exploded in popularity when Microsoft included it as a free game in Windows 95. Overnight, millions of people discovered this addictive card game, and it quickly became one of the most played computer games in history. The Microsoft version included 32,000 pre-numbered deals, creating a shared challenge among players worldwide. FreeCell remains a favorite because it rewards careful thought over blind luck. Expert players can win over 99% of all deals, and the satisfaction of untangling a complex board through pure logic is unmatched among solitaire games.

FreeCell uses a simple but elegant layout with three distinct areas: Tableau: The main playing area consists of 8 columns of cards spread across the center of the table. All cards are face-up and visible from the start. Free Cells: Four empty spaces in the upper-left corner serve as temporary storage. Each free cell can hold exactly one card at a time. These cells are the key strategic element that gives the game its name — they provide the flexibility you need to rearrange cards. Foundations: Four empty spaces in the upper-right corner are where you build your final piles. Each foundation is dedicated to one suit and must be built in ascending order from Ace to King. The beauty of the layout is its transparency. With all cards visible, you can survey the entire board and plan your approach before making a single move.

A standard 52-card deck is dealt into the 8 tableau columns as follows: The first four columns (leftmost) each receive 7 cards. The last four columns (rightmost) each receive 6 cards. This accounts for all 52 cards: (4 columns x 7 cards) + (4 columns x 6 cards) = 28 + 24 = 52. Every single card is dealt face-up. There are no hidden cards in FreeCell, which is what makes it fundamentally different from Klondike solitaire. You have complete information about the game state from the very first moment. The four free cells and four foundations all start empty.

The goal of FreeCell is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles. Each foundation builds up one suit in ascending order: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King You need to build all four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) from Ace through King. Once all 52 cards are on the foundations, you win the game. The challenge is that cards start scattered across 8 columns in no particular order, and you must carefully rearrange them using the tableau columns and free cells to gradually build each foundation pile.

There are several types of moves you can make in FreeCell: Tableau to Tableau: Move the bottom card of any column onto the bottom card of another column, provided it follows the building rules (descending rank, alternating colors). Tableau to Free Cell: Move the bottom card of any column into an empty free cell. This is useful for temporarily storing a card to access cards behind it. Free Cell to Tableau: Move a card from a free cell back onto a valid tableau column (following building rules) or into an empty column. Tableau to Foundation: Move the bottom card of a column to the appropriate foundation pile if it is the next card in sequence (e.g., move the 4 of hearts onto the 3 of hearts). Free Cell to Foundation: Move a card from a free cell directly to its foundation if it is next in sequence. Any card can be placed on an empty tableau column or an empty free cell.

When building on tableau columns, you must follow two rules: 1. Descending Rank: Each card placed on a column must be exactly one rank lower than the card it is placed on. For example, a 9 can be placed on a 10, a Jack on a Queen, and so on. 2. Alternating Colors: Cards must alternate between red (hearts, diamonds) and black (clubs, spades). A red 9 goes on a black 10. A black 5 goes on a red 6. For example, a valid sequence on a tableau column might look like: black King, red Queen, black Jack, red 10, black 9, red 8... Foundation piles follow different rules: they build UP by SUIT. The 4 of hearts goes on the 3 of hearts, the 5 of spades goes on the 4 of spades, and so on. Each foundation is dedicated to a single suit. Empty columns have no restrictions — any card can be placed in an empty column, though strategically you will usually want to place Kings there.

One of FreeCell's most important mechanics is the "supermove" — the ability to move multiple cards between tableau columns at once, as long as you have enough free cells and empty columns to theoretically move them one at a time. The formula for the maximum number of cards you can move at once is: Maximum cards = (empty free cells + 1) x 2^(empty columns) Here are some examples: 0 empty cells, 0 empty columns: (0+1) x 2^0 = 1 card 2 empty cells, 0 empty columns: (2+1) x 2^0 = 3 cards 1 empty cell, 1 empty column: (1+1) x 2^1 = 4 cards 2 empty cells, 1 empty column: (2+1) x 2^1 = 6 cards 3 empty cells, 2 empty columns: (3+1) x 2^2 = 16 cards 4 empty cells, 2 empty columns: (4+1) x 2^2 = 20 cards The supermove is not a special rule — it is simply a shortcut. The game automatically handles the intermediate steps of moving cards through free cells and empty columns. Understanding this formula is crucial for planning complex moves. Empty columns are exponentially more powerful than empty free cells because each empty column doubles the number of cards you can move.

Many FreeCell implementations, including this one, feature an auto-move system that automatically sends cards to the foundations when it is safe to do so. A card is safe to auto-move when keeping it in play can no longer help you build tableau sequences. Specifically, a card is auto-moved when both cards of the opposite color and one lower rank are already on their foundations. For example, the 5 of hearts (red) is auto-moved when both the 4 of clubs and 4 of spades (black) are already on their foundations. At that point, the 5 of hearts could never be useful on the tableau because there are no black 4s left to place on it. Aces and 2s are always auto-moved immediately since they can never be useful for building tableau sequences. Auto-moves save time and reduce unnecessary clicks without affecting your strategy.

FreeCell is remarkably fair. Nearly every deal is solvable — out of the original 32,000 numbered deals in Microsoft FreeCell, only one deal (#11982) has been proven to be unsolvable. Later analysis of the first 1,000,000 deals found only a handful of unsolvable games. This means that when you lose a FreeCell game, it is almost always because of a strategic mistake, not bad luck. A skilled player can expect to win well over 99% of all random deals. You lose a FreeCell game when you reach a position where no legal moves are available and the foundations are not yet complete. This usually happens when all free cells are occupied and no tableau moves are possible — a "deadlock." The key to avoiding deadlocks is careful planning and keeping free cells and columns open. The game tracks your moves and time, so even after mastering basic wins, you can challenge yourself to solve deals in fewer moves or faster times.

Our online FreeCell includes convenient controls for faster play: Click a card to select it, then click a valid destination to move it. You can also click a card and the game will attempt to auto-place it in the best available location. Use the Undo button (or Ctrl+Z) to take back your last move. This is invaluable for exploring different move sequences without committing to them. Use the Redo button (or Ctrl+Y) to replay a move you have undone. The New Game button deals a fresh game at any time. The restart button lets you replay the same deal from the beginning, which is useful for practicing difficult games.