The four free cells
Each free cell holds exactly one card. They are temporary parking, not storage — the number you leave empty decides how many cards you can move as a single run.
FreeCell — the Solitaire almost every deal can win
FreeCell deals all fifty-two cards face up across eight columns, with four free cells to park cards in. Nothing is hidden, so nothing is luck: the overwhelming majority of deals can be beaten by a good plan.
Play FreeCellHow big a move is legal
A multi-card move is only possible because the game shuffles cards through the free cells for you. Free cells plus empty columns determine the maximum, so filling all four cells freezes the board.
Winning the deal
Build down in alternating colours in the columns and up by suit on the foundations. When the position is clearly won, auto-finish sends everything home.
Tips that actually help
- Plan the whole sequence before you touch a card; free cells punish improvising.
- Dig out the Aces and twos early — they unclog every later move.
- Treat an empty column as worth far more than an empty free cell.
- If you need all four cells to make a move, it is usually the wrong move.
Common questions
- Are all FreeCell deals winnable?
- Nearly. Of the classic numbered deals, only a tiny handful are provably unsolvable, so a loss is almost always recoverable with undo.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. The game runs in the browser tab with no download, plugin or account.
- Is there a hint button?
- Yes, hints highlight a legal, useful move when you are stuck.