Solitaire Rules: How to Play Klondike, Spider, FreeCell and TriPeaks

By the Lmodire team · 1 November 2026 · 3 min read

Solitaire is not one game but a whole family of them. The version most people remember from old office computers is Klondike, but Spider, FreeCell and TriPeaks each play very differently. Here is how the four most popular versions work, and how to win more often at each.

Klondike: the classic

Klondike is what most people mean by solitaire. You use one deck. Twenty-eight cards are dealt into seven columns, with only the top card of each face up. The other 24 cards form the stock.

• The goal: build four foundation piles, one per suit, from ace up to king.
• On the table: stack cards in descending order, alternating red and black.
• Empty columns: in the standard game, only a king can go there.
• The stock: turn over one or three cards at a time, depending on the version.

Klondike strategy

Turn over face-down cards whenever you can, because hidden cards are what block most games. Start with the columns that have the most hidden cards. Do not empty a column unless you have a king to put there, and do not rush every card to the foundations, since you may need it on the table to hold a lower card.

Spider: the long game

Spider uses two decks and ten columns. In the traditional rules, you build descending runs from king to ace in a single suit, and a complete run is removed from the table. Mixed-suit stacks are allowed, but they cannot be moved as one group. When you run out of moves, you deal a new row from the stock.

Rules vary here. In Spider Solitaire Pro, the game tells you there is no need to sort by suit, which makes it friendlier than the traditional four-suit version.

Spider strategy

An empty column is your most valuable resource, so work toward one early. Use every possible move before dealing, because each deal buries cards you may need. Build on higher cards when you have a choice, so that your runs stay as long and as useful as possible.

FreeCell: pure skill

FreeCell deals all 52 cards face up into eight columns, so nothing is hidden. You get four free cells, each of which can hold one card for a while. As in Klondike, you build the table in descending alternating colours, and the foundations from ace to king.

Because you can see every card, FreeCell is close to a pure puzzle. Almost every deal can be won. Of the 32,000 deals in the original Windows version, only one is known to be impossible.

FreeCell strategy

Treat free cells as precious, and empty them as soon as you can. Before you start, find the aces and work out what is covering them. Keeping one column empty lets you move longer stacks.

TriPeaks: the quick one

TriPeaks lays the cards out in three overlapping pyramids. You clear them onto a single pile, playing any uncovered card that is one higher or one lower than the card on top. Suits do not matter. When you are stuck, you turn over a new card from the stock.

TriPeaks strategy

Look for the longest chain before you tap, since long chains clear the most cards. When two moves are possible, take the one that uncovers a face-down card. Do not turn over a new card until you have used every available move.

Which should you try first?

The Solitaire 15in1 Collection lets you try Klondike, FreeCell and many other variants in one place, so you can find your favourite.