How to Play FreeCell Solitaire
To play FreeCell, move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, one per suit, each built from Ace up to King. Cards are dealt face up into eight columns, you build downward in alternating colours, and four free cells hold one card each while you rearrange things. Nothing is hidden, so every deal is a puzzle you can solve by thinking rather than by luck.
This is the starting point for everything else here. Once the basics click, the full rules reference covers the finer cases, and the strategy guide covers the habits that decide close games.
The Board
FreeCell uses one 52-card deck and splits the table into three areas.
- The tableau is the eight columns holding the deal. Four columns get seven cards, four get six.
- The free cells are four slots at the top left. Each holds exactly one card of any rank.
- The foundations are four piles at the top right, one per suit, which you fill from Ace to King.
Step by Step
- Understand the objective. Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit from Ace up to King.
- Learn the layout. All 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight tableau columns. Four free cells sit top-left for temporary storage; four foundations sit top-right.
- Move cards in the tableau. Build down within tableau columns in descending rank and alternating colors. Any card can fill an empty column, not just Kings.
- Use the free cells. Move any single card to an empty free cell for temporary storage, then return it to the tableau or a foundation. Keep free cells empty when you can.
- Build the foundations. Send Aces to the foundations first, then build each suit upward by rank to the King.
- Win the game. You win when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundations, each suit complete from Ace to King.
Your First Few Moves
Before touching anything, read the board. Find the Aces and note how deeply each one is buried, because those four cards gate the whole game. Then look for cards that already sit in order, like a red 7 directly on a black 8, since those pairs move as a unit later and are worth protecting.
Open with the moves that cost nothing. Send any exposed Ace to its foundation, follow with twos, and make tableau moves that uncover a buried low card. Only reach for a free cell when a move you actually want depends on it. A card parked in a cell is a card out of play, and it shrinks how much you can move in one go.
Mistakes Beginners Make
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Filling all four free cells early | With no cells left you can only move one card at a time, which usually ends the game | Treat the fourth cell as an emergency reserve |
| Filling an empty column immediately | An empty column doubles your moving capacity, so spending it on one card wastes the strongest resource on the board | Leave it open until it unlocks a move you have planned |
| Rushing every card to the foundations | Mid-rank cards are often needed in the tableau to land other cards on | Send Aces and twos freely, then think before sending anything higher |
| Moving without a target | Shuffling cards around burns space and reaches a dead end | Decide which buried card you are digging out, then work backwards |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FreeCell hard to learn?
The rules take about two minutes. Build down in alternating colours, park single cards in the four free cells, and send each suit to its foundation from Ace to King. The depth comes from planning, not from memorising rules.
Do I need to know the supermove formula to play?
No. The game moves valid runs for you and refuses moves you do not have space for. Knowing the formula helps you plan, but you can play a full game without it.
Should I send every Ace straight to the foundation?
Almost always, yes. Aces and twos are never useful in the tableau, because nothing can be built on them in a descending sequence. Higher cards are a different matter, since sending them too early can strip the tableau of cards you still need.
What happens if I get stuck?
Use undo and try a different line. Undo is unlimited in casual play, so exploring a branch costs you nothing. In the daily challenge each undo carries a small scoring penalty.
What to Read Next
Knowing the moves is enough to finish an easy deal. Harder ones need a plan, and the FreeCell Solitaire strategy guide walks through the decisions that separate a solved board from a stuck one. When you want a board worth comparing, the daily FreeCell Solitaire challenge gives every player the same deal.