Australian Patience is a Yukon variant played with a single 52-card deck. Seven tableau columns of four cards each, all face-up from the start, plus a 24-card stock that you turn one card at a time onto a waste pile, with one pass and no redeal. The defining rule is the same as Yukon's lift-anything move, but the building rule is stricter: you build down by same suit, not alternating colors. The result is a deeper, harder puzzle than Yukon. Free in your browser, no sign-up. Works offline once the page has loaded.
Goal: build all four foundations from Ace to King by suit.
Same lift-anything mechanic, different building rule and stock.
| Aspect | Yukon | Australian Patience |
|---|---|---|
| Tableau columns | 7 | 7 |
| Initial cards on tableau | 52 (varies per column) | 28 (4 each) |
| Stock pile | None | 24 cards, turned one at a time to a waste; one pass |
| Tableau building | Down by alternating color | Down by same suit |
The strict same-suit building rule cuts mobility sharply. Yukon's alternating-color rule gives every card two legal placements per rank; Australian Patience gives only one. The stock provides some relief by bringing new cards into play one at a time, but the same-suit rule still produces many unwinnable deals.
Australian Patience appears in mid-20th-century patience anthologies as a regional variant of the Yukon family. The name reflects publication popularity in Australian newspapers rather than a verified Australian origin — like many "national" patience variants, the geographic label is more tradition than history. The game has remained niche in print but is included in most modern multi-game digital collections.
This Australian Patience runs in your browser — free, no download, no sign-up. Install as an app on your phone or computer; once installed it works offline. Unlimited undo, statistics, and a daily challenge that gives every player the same deal that day so you can compare times.
Two things: Australian Patience builds tableau columns by same suit (Yukon uses alternating colors), and it has a 24-card stock that you turn one card at a time onto a waste pile, with one pass and no redeal (Yukon has no stock — every card is on the table from the start). The lift-anything move rule is the same.
No. The strict same-suit building rule makes it harder than Yukon, because each card has only one legal placement instead of two. Some deals cannot be won however well you play.
No — only Kings, or any group with a King at the bottom. Same as Klondike and Yukon. If all four Kings are buried in deep positions when columns empty, the empty-column game is over.
Click the stock to turn one card face-up onto the waste pile. The top waste card can go to a tableau column or a foundation. You get one pass only: when the stock is empty, the waste is not turned over again. A card you skip is buried by the next one, so plan around each card before clicking.
Australian Patience appears in mid-20th-century patience anthologies as a regional variant of the Yukon family. The name reflects publication popularity in Australian newspapers rather than a verified Australian origin — like many "national" patience variants, the geographic label is more tradition than history.