The hardest mainstream variants — 4-Suit Spider, Forty Thieves, Scorpion — are lost far more often than they are won. In August 2026, TrySolitaire players won 24.2% of the 4-Suit Spider games they started, counting unfinished games as not won (August 2026 player report). That's not bad play; it's the variant. This guide ranks the variants where consistent winning is hardest, and explains the structural reasons each is hard.
If you're new to solitaire, start with our easiest variants ranking first.
What to expect: most 4-Suit Spider games end in a loss. Measure progress in smaller steps, such as how many complete sequences you finish in a game.
Difficulty in solitaire comes from multiple factors:
Our players won (Aug 2026): 24.2% of games started
Average game time: 30-60+ minutes
What makes it the hardest:
Average Game Time: 20-40 minutes
Why it's brutally hard:
Why experts struggle: The combination of strict suit-building, single-card movement, and no redeals creates a perfect storm of difficulty. You must plan 10-15 moves ahead just to survive.
Average Game Time: 15-30 minutes
Why it's extremely difficult:
Our players won (Aug 2026): 15.5% of games started
Solver: winnable deals: about 82%, for a solver that sees every card (Blake & Gent, 2026)
Average Game Time: 8-15 minutes
Why it's harder than you think:
The classic killer: Klondike Draw-3 is what most people think of as "Solitaire," yet most Draw-3 games end in a loss.
Our players won (Aug 2026): 33.0% of games started
Average Game Time: 15-30 minutes
Why it's challenging:
The sweet spot: 2-Suit Spider is the "Goldilocks" difficulty for serious players—hard enough to be satisfying, winnable enough to not be frustrating.
Play 2-Suit SpiderWhat a solver can win and what you will win are different numbers. A solver that sees every card can win about 90% of Klondike Draw-1 deals, about 82% of Draw-3 deals and 99.999% of FreeCell deals (Blake & Gent, 2026). Real win rates are much lower: players cannot see face-down cards, the winning path is hard to find, and one wrong move early can turn a winnable game unwinnable. Here is what TrySolitaire players won in August 2026, as a share of the games they started, with unfinished games counted as not won:
We have no sourced figures for Forty Thieves or Scorpion, so the table below shows a dash for them.
| Rank | Game | Our Players Won (Aug 2026) | Game Length | Skill Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💀 #1 | 4-Suit Spider | 24.2% | 30-60+ min | Very High |
| 💀 #2 | Forty Thieves | — | 20-40 min | High |
| 💀 #3 | Scorpion | — | 15-30 min | High |
| #4 | Klondike Draw-3 | 15.5% | 8-15 min | Medium |
| #5 | 2-Suit Spider | 33.0% | 15-30 min | Very High |
| #6 | Pyramid | — | 5-10 min | Low |
| #7 | Klondike Draw-1 | 35.3% | 5-15 min | Medium |
Player figures: wins divided by all games started on TrySolitaire in August 2026, with unfinished games counted as not won. A dash means we have no sourced figure.
If these games are so hard, why do people play them? Because:
Winning a 4-Suit Spider game isn't luck—it's a genuine achievement requiring skill, patience, and strategic mastery.
Hard solitaire games reward planning, pattern recognition, and long-term thinking. They're mental workouts that provide genuine cognitive challenge.
These games have mystique. Beating 4-Suit Spider consistently puts you in an elite group of players worldwide.
Unlike luck-heavy games, hard solitaire games let you track genuine improvement. Winning more 4-Suit Spider games over time represents real skill development.
The concentration required produces a calm, absorbed state that players come back for.
Timeline: Expect 1-2 years of regular play to master the hardest games. This isn't casual gaming—it's a serious strategic challenge.
1. Embrace Losing: You will lose. A lot. Most 4-Suit Spider games end in a loss. Accept it.
2. Measure Progress Differently: Track small improvements: "I reached 6 complete sequences today" not "I won."
3. Value the Journey: These games are about the strategic challenge, not the destination.
4. Develop Patience: Games take 30-60+ minutes. You need zen-like focus.
5. Learn from Every Game: Even losses teach strategy lessons.
Translation: Without a solver study, nobody can say how many of these deals can be won. Your results will be lower than any solver's, because you cannot see the face-down cards.
4-Suit Spider Solitaire is widely considered the hardest mainstream solitaire game. In August 2026, TrySolitaire players won 24.2% of the 4-Suit Spider games they started, counting unfinished games as not won.
It combines: (1) Two full decks (104 cards), (2) Strict same-suit sequence movement, (3) Complete K-A sequences required, (4) Mixed-suit sequences create dead ends, (5) One early mistake ruins 30-60 minute games.
Yes. A solver that sees every card can win about 82% of Draw-3 deals (Blake & Gent, 2026), but players win far fewer: in August 2026, TrySolitaire players won 15.5% of the Draw-3 games they started, counting unfinished games as not won. The draw-3 mechanic creates frequent card-blocking situations.
No. Some deals cannot be won from the start, and for most of these variants no solver study says how many. In practice, players lose most hard solitaire games.
Achieving competency in 4-Suit Spider takes 500+ games (several months of regular play). Mastery can take years.
Different challenge. Chess is harder strategically (more decisions, opponent), but hard solitaire games have more luck factor and mathematical constraints that can make wins impossible.
Yes. Start with easier games like FreeCell, Golf, or 1-Suit Spider. These brutal variants will frustrate and discourage beginners.
The challenge itself. Hard solitaire appeals to players who want genuine strategic depth, measurable skill progression, and the satisfaction of earning rare victories.
Try the hardest solitaire games on our site with:
⚠️ Final Warning: These games will test your patience and mental endurance. Don't say we didn't warn you. If you find yourself rage-quitting, check out our Easiest Solitaire Games instead.
Last Updated: October 4, 2026 | TrySolitaire – The hardest solitaire games, ranked