FreeCell Solitaire - Rules & Tips
FreeCell is the solitaire game where skill matters most. All 52 cards are dealt face up into eight columns, so you can see everything from the first move. On top there are four free cells, each able to hold one card, and four home piles, one for each suit.
In the columns you build down in alternating colours, for example a red 7 on a black 8. Any card can go into an empty column. Home piles are built up in the same suit from Ace to King, and when every card is home you have won.
Playnook FreeCell uses the classic numbered deals from 1 to 32,000, the same deals generations of players know. Type a game number to replay a famous deal or share it with a friend, or try the daily deal that everyone gets on the same day. Safe cards move home automatically, and you can switch that off if you prefer to do it yourself.
It is free, needs no download or sign-up, has unlimited Undo and Hints, and every card is labelled for screen readers.
How to Play FreeCell: Step by Step
- Look over the whole layout first. All cards are face up.
- Tap a card to pick it up. You can pick up an ordered group of alternating colours if there is enough free space.
- Tap a column to drop it on a card one higher of the opposite colour, or into an empty column.
- Tap a free cell to park a single card there for later.
- Tap a home pile to send a card home. Home piles go Ace to King in one suit.
- Tap a picked card again and the game moves it to the best place for you.
FreeCell Tips
- Free the Aces and 2s early. They are often buried and block everything else.
- Keep free cells empty for as long as you can. Every full cell halves how many cards you can move at once.
- An empty column is worth more than a free cell. Try to clear a short column early.
- Think a few moves ahead before parking a card. A card in a free cell must have somewhere to go later.
- Stuck? Undo a few moves and try a different order. Nearly every deal can be solved.
FreeCell FAQ
Can every FreeCell game be won?
Almost all of them. Of the 32,000 classic numbered deals, only game #11982 is known to be impossible. Every other one can be solved with careful play.
What do the game numbers mean?
The numbers are the classic FreeCell deal numbers from 1 to 32,000. Game #1 here is the same deal people have played for decades, so you can share a number and a friend gets the exact same cards.
How many cards can I move at once?
It depends on free space. You can move (empty free cells + 1) multiplied by 2 for every empty column. The game works this out for you.
What is the daily deal?
Every day all players get the same FreeCell deal. Solve it and the button turns into a tick for the rest of the day.
More card games: Klondike Solitaire and Spider Solitaire. See today’s daily games or all free games.