Klondike is the Solitaire most people picture when they hear the word — the
one that came with Windows for years. This guide covers the rules from scratch, then shares
practical tips to help you win more often. When you're ready,
play a free game.
Your goal is to build all four suits up on the foundations, each starting
with the Ace and ending with the King. Get every card from Ace to King onto the four
foundations and you've won. Some deals can't be solved no matter how well you play — that's
part of Klondike — so if you get truly stuck, simply start a new shuffle.
The table layout
A game of Klondike uses a single 52-card deck arranged into four areas:
The tableau — seven columns where most of the play happens. The first
column has one card, the second two, and so on up to seven. Only the bottom card of each
column starts face up; the rest are face down.
The stock — the face-down pile of leftover cards (24 of them) you draw
from.
The waste — where cards you draw from the stock are turned face up. The
top card of the waste is always available to play.
The foundations — four empty piles, one per suit, that you build up from
Ace to King to win.
How the cards move
Build down in alternating colours in the tableau. You can place a card on
a tableau column if it is one rank lower and the opposite colour. For example, a red 6 can
go on a black 7, and a black 5 then goes on that red 6.
Move groups of cards together. If several face-up cards already form a
valid sequence, you can move the whole run at once onto another column.
Reveal face-down cards. When you clear the cards on top of a face-down
card, turn it face up. Uncovering hidden cards is how you make progress.
Fill empty columns with Kings. Only a King — or a run led by a King — may
be moved into an empty column.
Build the foundations up by suit. Move an Ace to a foundation as soon as
it's free, then add the 2, 3, 4 and so on of that same suit.
Use the stock. When you're out of moves, draw from the stock to the waste.
Once the stock runs out, recycle the waste back into the stock and go through it again.
Tips & strategy: how to win more often
1. Always play Aces and 2s up straight away
Low cards are rarely useful in the tableau, so send Aces and 2s to the foundations as soon as
they appear.
2. Prioritise uncovering face-down cards
The biggest columns hide the most cards. Favour moves that flip a face-down card over moves
that just shuffle face-up cards around — every card you reveal opens up new options.
3. Don't rush every card to the foundations
It's tempting to send everything up the moment you can, but mid-ranked cards are often needed
in the tableau to receive other cards. Keep a card back if it might still catch an opposite-
colour card you need to place.
4. Plan before emptying a column
An empty column is valuable, but only a King can fill it. Don't empty a column unless you have
a King ready to move there — otherwise it just sits useless.
5. Expose colours you need
If you're short of black cards to build on red (or vice versa), prioritise moves that bring
the colour you need into play.
6. Work the stock thoughtfully
Before recycling the stock, try to make every other move available to you. Each pass through
the stock can change what's playable, so it pays to clear the board as much as possible first.
Common beginner mistakes
Sending every card to the foundations too early and stranding cards that needed to stay in
the tableau.
Emptying a column with no King ready to use it.
Ignoring the stock and only playing the tableau, or vice versa.
Making moves that don't reveal a new card or open up the board.
Controls on FreeSolit
Move a card: drag it, or tap/click to pick it up and tap/click where it
goes.
Send to a foundation instantly: right-click or double-click on a computer,
or double-tap on a phone or tablet.
Draw: click the stock pile; click it again when empty to recycle.
Solve: once every card is face up, a Solve button appears to finish the
game automatically.