Klondike Solitaire
About Klondike Solitaire
Klondike is the solitaire most people picture when they hear the word. It is a one-player card game where you sort a shuffled deck into four ordered piles, one for each suit. The name comes from the 1890s Klondike gold rush, and the game has been filling spare minutes ever since.
What keeps people coming back is the mix of luck and judgment. The deal is random, but how you play it is not, and a game that looks stuck will often open up if you make the right move first. Not every deal can be won, which somehow makes the wins feel earned.
You can play Klondike free in your browser with a fresh shuffle every game. There is nothing to download and no account needed. If you have never played a card game like this, the first deal or two will teach you the rhythm, and after that it becomes the kind of game you reach for without thinking.
Controls
You play by tapping or clicking cards, not dragging them. Tap a card to select it, or click it on a laptop, then tap or click where you want it to go. The game only lets you make legal moves, so you cannot place a card somewhere it does not belong.
The table has a few areas, and knowing what each one is for is most of the game:
- The tableau is the seven columns in the middle. Build cards downward in alternating colors, so a red six goes on a black seven.
- The foundations are the four piles you are trying to fill. Start each with an ace and build up in suit to the king.
- The stock is the face-down pile you draw from when you run out of moves. Tap or click it to turn over new cards.
- Kings and spaces matter because only a king can move into an empty column, so freeing one up is a decision, not a reflex.
You win when all 52 cards reach the foundations, sorted ace to king in each suit.
A Help button lays out the rules on demand, and Hint highlights a move you can make right now if you get stuck.
Tips
- Play your aces and twos up right away. They can never be built on in the tableau, so there is no reason to hold them back, and moving them clears space.
- Turn over face-down cards before anything else. The hidden cards are where your options come from, so uncovering them opens up moves you cannot see yet.
- Don't empty a column unless you have a king ready. Only a king can fill an empty spot, so a space with no king waiting is a space you cannot use.
- Think before you send a card to the foundation. A card sitting in the tableau can catch a card of the other color. Once it goes up top, it can't help you down here anymore.
- Draw from the stock when you are truly stuck. New cards change everything, but every move you can make on the table first gives you more to work with when they appear.
- Look at the whole board before your first move. The opening move that looks obvious is not always the best one, and the right order early on decides many games.
Frequently asked questions
Is Klondike Solitaire free to play?
Yes. You can play as many deals as you like with no download and no account.
How do you play solitaire if I have never tried it?
You sort a shuffled deck into four piles, one per suit, each running from ace up to king. You do it by stacking cards in the middle in alternating colors and moving them up when you can. The game shows you which moves are legal, so it is easy to learn by playing.
How do you win Klondike?
You win by moving all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, each sorted from ace to king in a single suit.
Can every game of solitaire be won?
No. Some deals cannot be solved no matter how well you play, which is normal for Klondike. If a game feels impossible, it sometimes is, and starting a fresh deal is part of the fun.
Can I play solitaire on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser, and you play by tapping cards rather than dragging them, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at solitaire?
Slow down on the opening, uncover face-down cards early, and think twice before sending cards to the foundations. Winning more often comes from move order, not luck.
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