FreeCell Solitaire - The Strategic Card Game
FreeCell is a classic solitaire card game that rewards strategic thinking over luck. Unlike most solitaire games, nearly every FreeCell deal is winnable with perfect play, making it one of the most skill-based card games you can play.
How to Play FreeCell
The goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit from Ace to King. You have 4 free cells for temporary storage and 8 tableau columns where you build down by alternating colors.
- Free Cells: Store any single card temporarily (top left)
- Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King (top right)
- Tableau: Build down by alternating colors (red on black, black on red)
Supermove: Moving Multiple Cards
While only one card can technically move at a time, FreeCell allows "supermoves" as a shortcut. The number of cards you can move depends on empty cells and columns:
Formula: (Empty Cells + 1) × 2Empty Columns
For example, with 2 empty cells and 1 empty column, you can move up to 6 cards at once.
Strategy Tips
- Keep free cells empty as long as possible - they're your maneuverability
- Prioritize uncovering Aces and low cards first
- Build foundations evenly - don't rush one suit
- Plan several moves ahead before committing
- Empty tableau columns are very powerful - create and use them wisely
Watch: FreeCell YouTube Tutorial
Learn how to play FreeCell with this helpful video tutorial covering gameplay and strategy.
Video credit: wikiHow
FreeCell History
FreeCell was popularized by Microsoft Windows in 1995, though its origins trace back to 1978. The game became famous for the statistic that 99.999% of deals are solvable. Game #11982 from the original Microsoft FreeCell is the only known unsolvable deal among the first 32,000 games.