FreeCell

How to play FreeCell

Every card is dealt face up, so there's no luck in what you can see — only in how you plan. Move all 52 cards onto the four suit piles at the top right, from Ace up to King.

The rules

• Columns: build down in alternating colors — a black 6 on a red 7.
• Free cells: the four spaces at the top left each hold one card while you work around it.
• Empty columns: any card can go into an empty column, not just a King.
• Moving several cards: you can move an ordered run in one go, as long as there are enough free cells and empty columns to have done it one card at a time. The game works this out for you.

Moving cards

• Tap a card to pick it up, then tap where it should go.
• Tap the same card twice to send it to the best place — its suit pile, a column, or a free cell.
• Cards that can't be needed any more go up to their piles on their own. You can switch this off in Settings.

Tips

• Free cells are precious. Try not to fill all four — keep at least one open whenever you can.
• Look for Aces and Twos buried near the top of a column, and dig them out first.
• An empty column is worth more than a free cell: it lets you move longer runs.

Questions

Can every game be won?

Almost. Of the 32,000 games in the original Windows version, only game #11982 is known to be impossible. Every other one can be won with careful play. Among the first million game numbers there are just eight impossible deals, and the random and daily games here skip all of them.

What are the game numbers?

Each number always deals the same cards, and they match the classic Windows FreeCell numbers — so game #617 here is the same game #617 you may remember. Open Settings to play any game by number.

Is my game saved?

Yes, automatically, in this browser. Close the page and pick up where you left off on the same device.