FreeCell

How to Play FreeCell

All 52 cards are dealt face-up into 8 tableau columns. Move cards in descending order and alternating colors on the tableau. Use the 4 free cells in the top-left as temporary parking spots. Build 4 foundation piles (top-right), one per suit, from Ace to King to win.

• All cards are visible from the start — no hidden cards
• Only one card can occupy each free cell at a time
• Unlike Klondike, nearly every FreeCell deal is winnable
• Plan several moves ahead to avoid trapping key cards

About FreeCell

FreeCell was invented in the 1940s and popularized digitally by Paul Alfille in 1978. Microsoft included it in Windows 95, introducing it to hundreds of millions of players. While most deals are solvable, a handful (like deal #11982) are impossible — a fact that made FreeCell legendary among card game enthusiasts.

Can you always win FreeCell?

Almost — 99.999% of the 8 × 10^67 possible deals are winnable. Only a tiny fraction, like deal #11982 in the original Windows version, are unsolvable.

What's the difference between FreeCell and Solitaire?

All cards are dealt face-up in FreeCell, and four free cells act as temporary storage. This makes it more strategic and skill-based than Klondike.