How to play Klondike solitaire

The Original Solitaire+ is free, no-signup classic Klondike with one smarter twist — the patent-pending Peek button. If you've ever played solitaire at a kitchen table or on a '90s PC, you already know most of this. Here's the whole game in a few minutes, question by question.

What are you actually trying to do?

Move all 52 cards to the four Foundation piles at the top of the table. Each foundation belongs to one suit and is built up in order: Ace, 2, 3… all the way to the King. Get every card home and you've won the deal. Everything else — the columns, the draw pile, the shuffling of cards between stacks — is just the work of digging those cards out.

How is the board set up?

• Tableau — seven columns holding 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards. Only the top card of each column starts face up; 21 cards begin the game hidden.
• Foundations — the four piles you're filling by suit, Ace → King.
• Stock & waste — the 24 leftover cards form the stock (draw pile); cards you deal from it land face up on the waste, where the top card is playable.

Those 21 face-down cards are the real opponent in solitaire. Nearly every decision in the game comes down to one question: which hidden cards can I uncover, and in what order?

What moves are allowed?

1. Build columns down, alternating colors. A red card goes on the next-higher black card, or black on red — for example, a red 6 onto a black 7.
2. Send Aces and 2s to the foundations. As soon as an Ace is free, move it up top, then add the 2, 3, 4… of that suit in order.
3. Move ordered groups together. A run like black 9 – red 8 – black 7 slides as one unit onto a red 10.
4. Flip hidden cards. Clear the cards covering a face-down card and it turns over and joins the game.
5. Fill empty columns with Kings. Only a King (or a stack starting with a King) may take an empty column — so don't empty one without a King ready.

What do you do when you run out of moves?

Deal from the stock. Each tap turns cards onto the waste pile, and the top waste card can be played to the tableau or a foundation. In The Original Solitaire+ you also have unlimited Undo and Hint — and using them never triggers ads. Take back a move, rethink, experiment. No timer, no pressure.

Draw 1 or Draw 3 — which should you play?

Draw 1 deals one card at a time from the stock and is the friendlier game — more of what you deal is playable. Draw 3 deals three at once but only the top card is playable, which hides part of the stock behind a rhythm you have to plan around. Start with Draw 1; graduate to Draw 3 when wins start feeling routine. (Curious how much harder Draw 3 really is? See what percentage of deals are winnable.) You can also score either mode the casino way — see how Vegas scoring works.

How does the Peek button fit in?

Classic Klondike makes you commit to moves before you know what they'll uncover. Peek — our patent-pending exclusive, and the reason this game exists — lets you press and hold to see the face-down cards, so choices like which of three Kings goes to the empty column become informed decisions instead of blind guesses. It's exactly what you'd do playing with real cards at your kitchen table, and it makes every game better exercise for your brain. See Peek in action here.

Prefer to watch it instead?

Our five-episode how-to series walks through everything on this page with the cards moving in front of you.

What makes The Original Solitaire+ different?

Beyond the classic rules: the only Peek button in solitaire (patent pending), a fresh Daily Challenge deal every day with Crowns and monthly medals, Keys that unlock 50+ card backs and backgrounds (night modes included), and a portrait layout that's easier on your hand and wrist than dragging cards across a widescreen table. It's basic solitaire at the core — no signup, no clutter — with one genuine innovation on top.

Ready to play?

No account, no cost — start a game right now, or take it with you on iPhone and iPad.