FreeCell Solitaire· CardHearth
FreeCell1 deck8 cascades4 free cellsalmost every deal winnable
How to play, tips & FAQ
How to play FreeCell
All 52 cards are dealt face up into eight cascades — nothing is hidden, so every game is a pure puzzle. Build the four foundations from Ace to King by suit, stacking cascades downward in alternating colors along the way. The four free cells in the top corner each hold a single card: they're your workspace for digging out buried cards.
You can move a run of cards only if you have the capacity to relay it:(empty free cells + 1), doubled for each empty cascade. Moving a runonto an empty cascade doesn't get to count that cascade. Drag cards anywhere, or tap a card to send it to the best spot — foundations first.
Strategy tips
FreeCell rewards planning over luck — almost every deal can be won. Keep your cells empty: a parked card is mobility you've spent, so before using a cell, check whether a cascade move does the same job. Dig out Aces and Twos early, since buried low cards are what strangle late-game options. Work toward an empty cascade: one open column doubles every run you can move, and two will usually break the game open. Look several moves ahead before committing — unlike Klondike, nothing is hidden, so the information to plan a whole sequence is always on the table.
Frequently asked questions
Are all FreeCell games winnable?
Very nearly. FreeCell is famous for being almost always solvable — well over 99% of random deals can be won with careful play, which is why FreeCell rewards patience and planning over luck. If you get stuck, undo is unlimited, and you can replay the exact same deal by its number.
What are the free cells for?
The four free cells in the top corner each hold a single card — they are temporary parking spaces. Use them to lift blocking cards out of the way, but sparingly: every occupied cell reduces how many cards you can move at once.
Why can I only move a few cards at a time?
Officially FreeCell moves one card at a time; moving a run is shorthand for a series of single moves through free cells and empty columns. The limit is (empty free cells + 1), doubled for each empty cascade — so with two free cells and one empty column you can move up to 6 cards, but moving to an empty column does not count that column itself.
When should I send cards to the foundations?
Aces and Twos can almost always go up immediately. After that, hold cards back if the opposite color might still need them for building — a banked red Five is useless when a black Six needs somewhere to go. The auto-finish button appears once the remaining game is provably safe.
Want a specific game? Play any of the classic32,000 numbered FreeCell deals by its number — including #11982, the one deal proven unsolvable.
Want more? Play Klondike Solitaire orSpider Solitaire — both free, right in your browser.