FreeCelleight columns, four cells

Goal of the game

Move all 52 cards onto the four foundations, from Ace to King, one per suit.

The game gives you four free cells — four spots that each hold a single card. They are your buffer, and the whole game is about not wasting them.

The layout

• Eight columns, all face up: four of seven cards, four of six.
• Four free cells at the top left, one card each.
• Four foundations at the top right, built up by suit from Ace to King.

Moves

• On the columns you build down in alternating colours, as in classic solitaire.
• A free cell takes any card, but only one at a time.
• An empty column accepts any card — not just a King. That is the big difference with Klondike, and the most powerful asset in the game.
• Officially you only move one card at a time; the game moves sequences for you by automatically using the free cells and empty columns.

The formula that decides everything

• The number of cards you can move as a block is (free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns).
• Four free cells and no empty column: 5 cards.
• Four free cells and one empty column: 10 cards.
• Two free cells and no empty column: only 3 cards.
• Every card you park in a cell therefore cuts your room to manoeuvre. That is why a cell used “just for a moment” costs so much.

The order of priorities

• 1. Empty a column. An empty column is worth more than two free cells, and it serves as a sorting area.
• 2. Free the cells as soon as you can. A card in a cell is a dead card until it has somewhere to land.
• 3. Send Aces and 2s up immediately. They are never useful on the tableau.
• 4. Hold the other cards back. As in Klondike, building the foundations too fast takes away the cards you need for sorting.
• 5. Spot the buried Kings. A King at the bottom of a column is the main obstacle: plan how to dig it out before manoeuvring elsewhere.

The mistakes that cost the most

• Filling all four cells. With zero free cells you can only move one card: the game is almost always over.
• Plugging an empty column without a plan. Only fill it for a precise goal, then empty it again.
• Playing without looking three moves ahead. Every card is visible: the game gives you the means to plan ahead, so use them.
• Undoing instead of thinking. FreeCell rewards thinking before clicking.

Controls

Keyboard and mouse

• Click a card, then its destination. Double-click to send it to its foundation.
• The game refuses impossible moves and shows how many cards can be moved.
• Undo goes back as many times as you need.

Touch screen

• Tap a card then its destination, or drag it.
• Double-tap to move a card up to the foundations.
• The capacity counter stays visible at the top of the screen.

Frequently asked questions

Can every FreeCell deal be won?

Almost all of them. Of the 32,000 numbered deals in the classic game, only one is known to be impossible. So a loss nearly always comes from a manoeuvring mistake, not from the deal.

How many cards can you move at once?

(free cells + 1) × 2 to the power of the number of empty columns. With four cells and one empty column, ten cards.

Can you put any card in an empty column?

Yes, unlike Klondike solitaire where only a King is accepted. That is what makes empty columns so valuable.

How is it different from classic solitaire?

No hidden cards, no stock, and four buffer cells. FreeCell is a game of complete reasoning; Klondike keeps an element of the unknown.

Should you move cards to the foundations as soon as possible?

No, except Aces and 2s. A card moved up too early never comes back down and can deprive you of the support you needed for sorting.

More classics, free as well

• Gin Rummy — ten cards, melds, knock at the right moment
• Mahjong — matching tiles, the turtle to take apart
• Mastermind — four pegs, six colours, ten tries