Why is it called "Cruel"?

The name reflects the game's reputation. The combination of strict same-suit building, single-card moves, and a redeal that preserves card order produces a high proportion of unwinnable deals. Practical win rates are low even with skilled play.

How does the redeal work?

When you're stuck, click to redeal. The cards are collected pile-by-pile (top card of each pile first, then bottom-up), and re-dealt back into twelve piles of four. The order is preserved — no shuffle. The same blockages often return, which is why Cruel earns its name.

Can I move groups of cards?

No. Only the top card of each tableau pile is movable, and only one card at a time. There are no group moves and no super-moves. This is the rule that makes Cruel so much harder than FreeCell or Klondike.

Are all Cruel deals winnable?

No. The strict rules and order-preserving redeal mean a meaningful proportion of deals are unsolvable from the start. There's no peer-reviewed solvability study for Cruel, but practical win rates are low — published estimates suggest skilled play wins under 25% of deals.

Why can't empty piles be filled?

Cruel doesn't allow filling empty piles between redeals. Empty space is permanent until the next redeal, when the cards are redistributed across all twelve piles. This is part of the constraint that gives the game its difficulty.

Cruel Solitaire — Free online (12 piles)

Play Cruel Solitaire — Twelve Piles, Same-Suit Building, Strategic Redeals

Cruel is a single-deck patience with a punishing reputation. The four Aces start on the foundations; the remaining 48 cards are dealt face-up into twelve piles of four. Build the tableau piles down by same suit, but only the top card of each pile is movable — and only one card at a time. The redeal mechanic lets you re-collect and redistribute the tableau when you're stuck, but only without shuffling, so the same blockages can return. Free in your browser, no sign-up. Works offline once the page has loaded.

How Do You Play Cruel Solitaire?

Goal: build all four foundations from Ace to King by suit.

Setup

Foundations: the four Aces are placed at start, one per suit.
Tableau: the remaining 48 cards are dealt face-up into twelve piles of four. All cards visible.
No stock, no waste, no reserves.

Rules

Build tableau piles down by same suit. A 7 of hearts goes on an 8 of hearts only.
Move one card at a time. Only the top of each pile is movable.
Foundations build up by suit from Ace to King.
Empty piles can only be created by emptying a pile; they cannot be filled.
Redeal: when stuck, click to redeal. Cards are collected pile-by-pile (top first) and re-dealt back into the same number of piles. The order is preserved — no shuffle. The same blockages often return.

What's the Best Cruel Solitaire Strategy?

Move every Ace-suit card immediately. The four Aces are already on the foundations, so 2s of every suit are top priority. Get them up as soon as exposed.
Build same-suit chains in the tableau. A clean 6-7-8 of hearts on top of one pile lets you move the run together when a 9 of hearts opens up. Mixed-suit piles can only release the top card.
Don't fill empty piles unnecessarily. Empty piles can't be re-filled in Cruel. The space is gone — but having more piles to redistribute into during a redeal is sometimes worth it.
Plan the redeal carefully. The redeal preserves card order pile-by-pile. Recognise when a redeal will produce the same blockage and take a different action first.
Concentrate on one suit at a time. Same-suit building rewards focus. A clean K-Q-J-10 group is more useful than four scattered moves across suits.
Watch the foundation order. Sending the second-rank card of one suit (e.g., a 2) leaves three more 2s to find — but they may be deeply buried. Track which copies are accessible.

A Short History

Cruel appears in patience anthologies from the early 20th century onward. The name reflects the game's reputation — the strict same-suit, single-card-move, no-shuffle-on-redeal combination produces a high proportion of unwinnable deals. The variant has remained niche but is included in many digital solitaire packages, often alongside related variants like Perpetual Motion, which uses a similar redeal mechanic without preserving order.

About This Version

This Cruel 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.

Other Solitaire Games to Try

Forty Thieves — same-suit building, two decks, also punishing
FreeCell — every card visible, almost every deal winnable
Klondike — the seven-column classic with a stock pile
Spider — two decks, ten columns, suit-based sequences