About Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is the two-deck patience game that turned a quick coffee break into a real strategy challenge. Play Spider Solitaire free here with one, two or four suits — no download, no account, and it works just as well on a phone as on a laptop.
Your goal is to clear all 104 cards from the table by building eight complete runs, King down to Ace, in a single suit. Every finished run lifts off the table on its own. Along the way you'll juggle face-down cards, precious empty columns and a stock that drops a fresh card onto every column each time you deal.
New to the game? Start with 1 suit, where every card is a spade and you can focus on the flow of the game. Spider Solitaire 2 suits adds hearts and makes you think about which runs to build, and 4 suits is the classic expert test. Undo as often as you like, ask for a hint when you're stuck, and try to beat your best time in each mode.
How to play Spider Solitaire
- 1
Know the layout
Two decks are shuffled together. 54 cards are dealt into ten columns — six in each of the first four, five in the rest — with only the top card of each column face up. The other 50 cards wait in the stock at the top right, ready to be dealt in five rows of ten.
- 2
Build down, in any suit
Move a face-up card onto any card exactly one rank higher, regardless of suit: a 6 of hearts can go on a 7 of spades. Whenever you move the last face-up card off a column, the card beneath flips over.
- 3
Move runs of one suit
A sequence such as 9-8-7 of spades moves as one unit, as long as every card in it is the same suit. Mixed-suit sequences can be built, but they have to be taken apart one card at a time. Any card or suited run can fill an empty column.
- 4
Deal from the stock
When you run out of useful moves, click the stock (or the Deal button) to put one new face-up card on every column. You can only deal when no column is empty, so fill any gaps first.
- 5
Complete eight runs
As soon as a column holds a full run from King to Ace in one suit, it flies off to the completed pile at the top left. Finish all eight runs to win.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Drag / tap | Drag a card or suited run, or tap it to move it to the best column |
| Click the stock / D | Deal a new row of ten cards |
| U, Z or Backspace | Undo the last move (unlimited) |
| H | Show a hint — press again for the next suggestion |
| Arrow keys + Enter | Play by keyboard: move the cursor, pick up a run, drop it |
| Esc | Cancel a selection |
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Spider Solitaire tips and strategy
Uncover face-down cards first
Hidden cards are what beat you in Spider. When you have a choice, pick the move that turns a card over, and give extra attention to columns with the most cards still face down.
Build in suit whenever you can
A same-suit run can travel as a group; a mixed one is stuck until you break it up. Given two places to put a card, choose the one that matches its suit, even if the other move looks tidier.
Treat empty columns as gold
An empty column lets you park a card or run while you reorganize, which is the key to sorting out mixed sequences. Don't fill it with a random card just because you can.
Get ready before you deal
A deal drops a card on top of every column, which can bury the run you were building. Before dealing, make all your useful moves and try to leave long suited runs where a new card won't hurt them.
Be careful with Kings
A King can never go on another card, so once it lands in a column, only another empty column can take it. Moving a King into a space is best when it frees a column that was holding face-down cards.
Step up the suits gradually
One suit teaches you the rhythm of dealing and clearing columns. Two suits trains you to keep runs in suit, and those habits are exactly what four suits demands.
Use undo to explore
Undo is unlimited, including after a deal. If a plan doesn't work out, step back and try a different order — it's how strong players learn which moves matter.
1, 2 or 4 suits: choosing your challenge
- 1 suit uses eight sets of spades. Any card that fits can join a run, so games move quickly and nearly every deal can be won with careful play. It's the best place to start.
- 2 suits mixes spades and hearts. You'll often have to choose between a quick move and one that keeps a run in suit, and the planning pays off.
- 4 suits uses two full decks, the way the game was originally played. Suited runs are hard to put together, empty columns become vital, and a win is a genuine achievement. Some four-suit deals can't be won at all, so don't be discouraged by the occasional loss.
Each mode has its own leaderboard and personal best, and your game in each mode is saved separately, so you can switch between them freely.
Scoring and the leaderboard
The leaderboard ranks your time. The clock starts on your first move, pauses when you switch tabs, and stops when the eighth run is complete. Your game — including your undo history — is saved on your device after every move, so you can close the page and carry on later. Undo never affects your ranking, but a game where you used a hint counts as a win without going on the leaderboard or setting a personal best.
You can also show the classic score in settings. Every game starts at 500 points, each move or deal costs one point, and every completed run earns 100.
Where Spider Solitaire comes from
Spider is a traditional patience game that has been played with real cards for generations. Its name is often said to come from its eight foundation piles, one for each of a spider's legs. The game found a huge new audience when Microsoft added it to Windows around the turn of the millennium, and it has been one of the most-played computer card games ever since.
If you like Spider, try the classic one-deck Solitaire, the all-skill challenge of FreeCell, or tile-matching Mahjong. You'll find even more in our collection of card games.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spider Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Spider Solitaire on Free To Play Puzzles is completely free, with no download or sign-up. It runs in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.
What is the difference between 1-suit, 2-suit and 4-suit Spider?
The rules are the same; only the cards change. One suit uses only spades, so any sequence can move together. Two suits mixes spades and hearts, and four suits uses all four suits, which makes building same-suit runs much harder.
Can every game of Spider Solitaire be won?
Not always. Most one-suit deals can be won with careful play and undo, but with two and especially four suits some deals are impossible no matter what you do. If you get stuck, the game offers to undo or start a new deal.
Why can't I deal more cards from the stock?
You can only deal when every column has at least one card in it. Move a card or run into each empty column first, then deal. The number on the stock shows how many deals are left.
How do I get a completed run off the table?
You don't have to do anything. As soon as a column holds a full run from King to Ace in one suit, it is removed automatically and added to the completed piles at the top left.
Can I undo a deal?
Yes. Undo is unlimited and works on every move, including deals from the stock and moves that completed a run.
Which mode is best for beginners?
Start with 1 suit. It teaches you how dealing, empty columns and runs work without the extra puzzle of keeping suits apart. When you're winning most games, move up to 2 suits.