Scorpion is a digging game. You build long suited runs right in the tableau, but the catch is that the cards you need are usually buried — and Scorpion's signature move lets you haul whole stacks around to free them. It rewards patience and a bit of nerve. This page is a complete reference to how Scorpion is played: the deal, the goal, the moves, and how you win. If you'd rather learn by doing, you can play Scorpion right away with undo and hints to back you up.
What is Scorpion Solitaire?
Scorpion is a solitaire game played with a single standard 52-card deck. It is a close cousin of Spider: you build sequences down in suit and aim to assemble full King-to-Ace runs. What sets Scorpion apart is the move rule — you may pick up any face-up card along with everything on top of it, in whatever order, and shift the whole group at once. There are no separate foundations to play to; the winning runs are built in place, right in the tableau.
The deal
Scorpion lays out seven tableau columns of seven cards each — 49 cards in all. The deal is partly hidden: in columns one to four, the bottom three cards of each column are dealt face down; columns five to seven are dealt entirely face up. The three remaining cards form a small face-down stock set to one side. So you start with a mix of visible and hidden cards, and part of the puzzle is exposing what you can't yet see.
The objective
You win by arranging all the cards into four suited sequences, each running from King down to Ace — one complete run per suit. These runs are built within the tableau; there is no separate pile to move them to. When all four same-suit King-to-Ace runs are assembled, the game is won.
Building down in suit
Scorpion builds down in suit. You may place a card on another card only if it is the same suit and exactly one rank higher. A 9♠ goes onto a 10♠, a Queen♥ onto a King♥, and so on. Colour and the other suits don't help here — it is strictly suit-matched. Over the game these matched cards link up into the long descending runs you need to win.
Moving cards — the Scorpion twist
Here is the rule that gives Scorpion its sting. You may pick up any face-up card together with every card stacked on top of it — even if that group is a jumbled, out-of-order mess — and move the whole pile onto a same-suit card one rank higher. The cards on top don't have to be in sequence; only the bottom card of the group you lift has to fit its new home.
For example, suppose a 7♣ you need is buried under a 2♥ and a J♠. If there is an 8♣ available elsewhere, you can lift the 7♣ with the 2♥ and J♠ riding on top and drop the entire stack onto the 8♣. The 7♣ is now placed correctly, and you can deal with the two passengers later. This is how you dig out cards that would be stuck for good in stricter games — you simply relocate whatever is sitting on them.
The three-card stock
The three leftover cards are your stock, and you get to use them once. When you deal the stock, the three cards go out face up, one onto each of the first three columns. There is no recycling — this deal happens a single time and never again. Because it is one-shot, time it well: deal the stock when those three fresh cards are likely to open up moves rather than bury more cards you need.
Empty columns
Clearing a column gives you room to manoeuvre, but an empty column can only be filled by a King (and any cards riding on top of it). Nothing else may start a fresh column. That makes empty columns valuable and a little awkward: hold one open for a King with a useful run already attached, rather than emptying a column when you have no King ready to move in.
One handy side effect of all this shuffling: whenever you move the cards sitting above a face-down card, that card flips face up. Exposing hidden cards is most of the work in Scorpion, so look for moves that turn cards over even when they don't immediately extend a run.
How you win
The game is won the moment the tableau holds four complete suited runs, each from King down to Ace. Since the runs are built in place, there is no final flurry of moves to a foundation — once the last four King-to-Ace sequences are assembled, you're done. Scorpion is a tougher, more tactical relative of Spider, so expect to lean on undo while you learn which columns to dig into first.
Frequently asked questions
How is Scorpion different from Spider?
Both build down in suit and both aim for full King-to-Ace runs, so they feel related. The difference is how you move cards. Spider only lets you pick up a run that is already in order. Scorpion lets you lift any face-up card together with everything stacked on top of it — even a jumbled, out-of-order pile — and drop the whole group onto a same-suit card one rank higher. That single rule changes how you plan every move.
Can I deal the stock more than once?
No. Scorpion has just three cards left over after the tableau is dealt, and you deal them out only once — one card face up onto each of the first three columns. There is no recycling and no second pass, so save that deal for a moment when the three new cards will actually help.
What goes on an empty column?
Only a King, along with any cards sitting on top of it. Because clearing a column is hard and refilling it is restricted, empty columns are precious. Plan to land a King there, ideally with a useful run already attached, rather than emptying a column with nothing ready to fill it.
Keep going
Now that you know the rules, play a hand of Scorpion and try the move-any-group trick for yourself. When you want a related challenge, try Spider for its in-order suited runs or Yukon for another game that lets you move buried groups, and browse everything in our guides hub.