About FreeCell Solitaire
FreeCell is the solitaire game where skill beats luck: every card is dealt face up from the start, so with careful planning almost every deal can be won. Here you can play FreeCell solitaire free online, with no download and no sign-up, on your phone, tablet or computer.
The goal is the same as in classic Solitaire — move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, one per suit, from Ace to King. The difference is the four free cells: small parking spaces that each hold a single card while you rearrange the columns. Use them well and even the most tangled deal unravels; fill them carelessly and you'll quickly run out of room.
Every game here uses the classic Windows deal numbers, so you can replay a favorite deal, challenge a friend to the same one, or take on the famously impossible #11982. Undo is unlimited, and when you're stuck the hint button asks our solver for a move that still leads to a win.
How to play FreeCell
- 1
Know the layout
All 52 cards are dealt face up into eight columns — four of seven cards and four of six. Across the top are the four free cells on the left and the four foundations on the right, where you build each suit from Ace to King.
- 2
Build down in alternating colors
You can move the top card of any column onto another column's top card if it is one rank lower and the opposite color: a red 9 on a black 10, then a black 8 on that red 9. Any card, not just a King, can move into an empty column.
- 3
Park cards in the free cells
When a card is in the way, move it into an empty free cell to reach the card beneath. Each cell holds one card, and you can move it back to a column or up to a foundation whenever it fits.
- 4
Move runs with supermoves
An ordered run of cards can move together as long as you have enough free space to shuffle it across one card at a time. The number of cards you can move is (empty free cells + 1) × 2 for every empty column — the Max move counter above the table keeps track for you.
- 5
Send cards home
Drag, tap or double-click a card to put it on its foundation. Cards that no other card could ever need are sent home automatically, and once every column is in order the game finishes itself.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Drag / tap | Drag a card or run between piles, or tap it to move it to the best spot |
| Double-click | Send a card straight to its foundation |
| U, Z or Backspace | Undo the last move (unlimited) |
| H | Show a hint — press again for another suggestion |
| A | Finish the game once every column is in order |
| Arrow keys + Enter | Play by keyboard: move the cursor, pick up a card, drop it |
| F / Esc | Send the focused card home / cancel a selection |
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FreeCell tips and strategy
Look before your first move
Since nothing is hidden, take a few seconds to find the Aces and 2s and see what is sitting on top of them. The columns holding low cards deep down are the ones to work on first.
Keep your free cells empty
Free cells are for short-term parking, not storage. Every card you leave in a cell cuts the size of the runs you can move, so try to play cards back out of the cells as soon as you can.
Empty columns are worth more than cells
An empty column doubles the number of cards you can move at once, while a free cell only adds one. Clearing a short column early is often the move that cracks a deal open.
Fill empty columns with long runs
Don't drop a lone low card into an empty column unless you have to. It's usually better to move a long ordered run there, ideally one starting with a King, so the column stays useful for the rest of the game.
Watch for same-suit blockers
A card lying on top of a lower card of its own suit is a trap: the lower card has to reach the foundation first, so the one above it must move out of the way. Deal with these pairs before they lock up your free cells.
Don't rush every card home
A mid-rank card on the tableau can still be the landing spot for a lower card of the opposite color. The game only auto-moves cards that are completely safe to send up, and it's worth thinking the same way.
Use undo to test a plan
Undo is unlimited and free to use. If a line of play runs out of space, step back a few moves and try the cards in a different order.
Numbered deals and the famous #11982
FreeCell became famous through Microsoft Windows, which numbered its deals from 1 to 32,000. This game uses the same deal-number method, so Deal #1 here is the same Deal #1 as on Windows. Tap the deal number above the table to type in any deal from 1 to 1,000,000, restart the current one, or pick a random deal.
In the 1990s, players organized an online effort to solve all 32,000 original deals one by one. They found that every deal could be won except one: #11982, which has become the most famous deal in solitaire. Random deals here always come from the winnable part of the original set, but you're welcome to type in 11982 and try it for yourself.
Supermoves: how many cards can you move?
Officially, FreeCell moves one card at a time. Moving a run of five cards really means shuffling them through free cells and empty columns and rebuilding the run on its new column. We do that shuffling for you as a single supermove, as long as the rules allow it:
- With no empty columns, you can move one more card than you have empty free cells — four empty cells lets you move five cards.
- Each empty column doubles that number, so two empty cells and one empty column lets you move six cards.
- When the destination is itself an empty column, that column doesn't count toward the total.
If you try to move a longer run than your space allows, the game tells you how many cards you can move right now.
Timer, hints and saved games
The clock starts with your first move and stops when the last card reaches the foundations; your time goes on the FreeCell leaderboard. It pauses when you switch tabs, and your game is saved on your device after every move, including your undo history, so you can close the page and come back later.
Hints aren't guesses. When you press Hint, a built-in solver searches for a sequence of moves that wins from your current position and shows you the first step — follow the hints and the deal will come out. If the solver can’t find a winning line from where you are, the hint tells you, and a few Undos usually take you back to a position that can still be won. A game where you used a hint still counts as a win, but it isn't ranked on the leaderboard or saved as a personal best.
FreeCell was created by Paul Alfille in 1978 for the PLATO educational computer system, building on an older game called Baker's Game. If you enjoy it, try Spider Solitaire for a two-deck challenge, or browse more card games like Mahjong.
Frequently asked questions
Is this FreeCell game free?
Yes. FreeCell on Free To Play Puzzles is completely free to play, with no download or account needed. It works in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.
Is every game of FreeCell winnable?
Almost. Of the 32,000 original numbered deals, only #11982 is known to be impossible, and random deals here never give you that one. So if a game gets stuck, it's the moves, not the cards — use Undo or a hint to find another way.
How many cards can I move at once in FreeCell?
You can move one more card than you have empty free cells, doubled for every empty column. For example, three empty cells and one empty column let you move eight cards. The Max move counter above the table shows your current limit.
What is the difference between FreeCell and Solitaire?
In classic Solitaire (Klondike), many cards start face down and you draw from a stock pile, so luck plays a big part. In FreeCell every card is visible from the start and there is no stock; instead you get four free cells, which makes it a game of planning.
Can I play a specific deal number?
Yes. Tap the deal number above the table, type any number from 1 to 1,000,000 and press Play. Deals 1 to 32,000 match the classic Windows FreeCell deals.
Why did some cards move to the foundations by themselves?
FreeCell automatically sends up cards that no other card could ever need, such as Aces and 2s. You can turn this off in settings with Auto-move safe cards if you prefer to place every card yourself.
Will I lose my game if I close the page?
No. Your game, deal number, time and undo history are saved on your device after every move, so you can pick up exactly where you left off.