Play FreeCell Solitaire — A Game of Skill
FreeCell is a solitaire game where almost every deal can be won with skill. All 52 cards start face-up — no hidden cards, no luck of the draw. Play free in your browser on a phone, tablet, or computer. Once the page loads, the game keeps working even without an internet connection.
How Do You Play FreeCell?
Goal: Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, building up by suit from Ace to King.
Setup
- Tableau: Eight columns, all face-up. The first four hold seven cards each; the last four hold six.
- Free cells: Four empty spaces, top-left. Each holds a single card.
- Foundations: Four empty spaces, top-right. One per suit, built up from Ace to King.
Rules
- Build tableau columns down by alternating colors. A black 7 goes on a red 8.
- Move one card at a time. (Our version moves whole sequences when there's room — see below.)
- Any card can fill an empty column.
- Foundations build up by suit, Ace to King. You win when all four are complete.
How Many Cards Can You Move at Once?
FreeCell's strict rule is one card at a time. With empty free cells and empty columns, you could move a sequence by hand and reach the same end state. Our version does this in one move. The math is simple — and worth memorizing:
(1 + empty free cells) × 2(empty columns)
| Empty free cells | Empty columns | Cards you can move |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | 2 | 20 |
Each empty column doubles your moving power. Empty columns matter more than free cells.
One exception: an empty column that the run moves into does not count. With four empty free cells and one empty column, you can move 10 cards onto a card, but only 5 into that empty column.
What's the Best FreeCell Strategy?
- Move Aces and 2s out fast. They free up cards above them and start your foundations.
- Empty a column when you can. An empty column doubles your supermove power. Two empty columns quadruple it.
- Don't fill all four free cells. Each one you keep open is one more card you can move at once.
- Look at the whole board first. All 52 cards are visible. Plan three or four moves before you make the first.
About This Version
This FreeCell runs in your browser — free, with no download or sign-up. Install it as an app on your phone or computer, and it works even without internet. Supermoves are auto-calculated, undo is unlimited, and the daily challenge gives the same deal to everyone that day, so you can compare times.
Stuck? Press Hint, or the H key. A solver finds a winning line for almost every deal, and the hint shows its next move with an arrow and one sentence that says why. A hint costs no points.
Other Solitaire Games to Try
- Klondike — the classic Microsoft Solitaire
- Spider — clear King-to-Ace runs across 10 columns
- Yukon — like Klondike, but no stock, 31 of 52 cards face-up
- Eight Off — FreeCell's nearest cousin, with eight free cells
- Forty Thieves — two decks, deeper challenge
For deeper strategy and the full history of FreeCell, see our FreeCell guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are all FreeCell games winnable?
Almost. A solver study found 99.999% of random deals winnable (Blake & Gent, 2026), and of Microsoft's original 32,000 deals only #11982 has no solution. Players win fewer: in August 2026, TrySolitaire players won 58.1% of the FreeCell games they started, counting games they left unfinished as not won.
How many cards can I move at once?
The number equals (1 + empty free cells) × 2 raised to the empty-column count. With four free cells and one empty column, you can move 10 cards onto a card, but only 5 into the empty column, because a column the run moves into does not count. Our version calculates this for you.
What's a good opening move?
Look for any Ace and send it to a foundation. Then expose the 2s. Beyond that, focus on emptying a column — even a short one. An empty column is the most powerful tool you have, and you can't get one back once it's filled.
Why is FreeCell easier than Klondike?
Two reasons. Every card is face-up from the start, so there's no luck of the draw. The four free cells also let you set cards aside while you plan. Klondike hides about half the deck and gives you no temporary storage.
Does the game work offline?
Yes. Once you've loaded the page, the game is cached on your device. Install it as an app from your browser menu — "Add to Home Screen" on mobile, "Install" on desktop — and it works without an internet connection. Your stats save locally.
Is FreeCell online free to play here?
Yes. Free FreeCell solitaire runs in your browser with no sign-up, no download and no payment. The freecell card game works offline once the page has loaded.
Is Free Cell the same game as FreeCell?
They are the same game. Free Cell written as two words and FreeCell written as one both refer to the solitaire game with four open cells and four foundations.