FreeCell
The strategy solitaire — almost every deal is winnable with the right moves
FreeCell is one of the most beloved and strategically rich card games ever created, and unlike most solitaire variants, it rewards careful thinking over luck. While Klondike Solitaire has hidden cards and uncertain stock piles, FreeCell deals all 52 cards face-up from the very first moment, giving you complete information about every card on the board. Your success depends almost entirely on whether you can figure out the right sequence of moves — and in nearly every deal, that winning sequence exists. The game was popularized by Microsoft, which included it in Windows 3.1 in 1991 as a method to teach users how to use the mouse. Unlike Minesweeper and Solitaire, FreeCell was specifically chosen because its analyst Jim Horne believed it was always solvable — and remarkably, he was almost right. Of the first 32,000 numbered deals, only eight are known to be unsolvable: #11982, #146692, #186216, #455889, #495505, #512118, #517776, and #781948. Every other numbered deal in the Microsoft FreeCell range can be solved with perfect play, making FreeCell a game of skill rather than chance. The board consists of three main areas. The tableau holds eight columns of cards — columns one through four get seven cards each, and columns five through eight get six cards each, totalling all 52 cards. The free cells are four single-card holding areas in the top-left corner; these are your most precious resource, giving you temporary storage to maneuver sequences around. The foundation piles in the top-right corner are your target: four piles, one per suit, built from Ace up to King in order. Movement rules are elegantly simple. Any top card from a tableau column may move to any empty free cell, any compatible tableau card (one rank lower and opposite color), or to the appropriate foundation. Cards move from free cells under the same rules. Only one card can physically move at a time, but the game allows you to move sequences of ordered cards as a group if you have sufficient free cells and empty columns available. The formula for how many cards you can move as a group is (free cells + 1) multiplied by 2 raised to the power of empty columns, though the column you're moving to doesn't count if it's empty. Strategy in FreeCell revolves around managing your free cells and empty columns carefully. Free cells fill up quickly when you're trying to reorganize tableau columns, and once all four are occupied you can only move one card at a time — sharply limiting your options. The most important strategic lesson is to avoid filling all your free cells at once. Always try to keep at least one or two free cells open as emergency escape valves. Similarly, empty columns are enormously valuable for temporary staging of card sequences, but an empty column that stays empty too long is a wasted resource. Building to foundations should follow suit progression carefully. It is generally safe to move a card to a foundation once both cards of the opposite color that are one rank below it are already on the foundations. For example, it's safe to move the red 5 to a foundation once both black 4s are on their foundations — otherwise you might need that red 5 in the tableau to place a black 4 somewhere. This principle, sometimes called the safe-to-move rule, prevents you from accidentally stranding cards that need a foundation card as a stepping stone. This implementation supports seeded numbered deals so you can share specific games with friends, progressive two-step hints that first show you the source card and then the destination, unlimited undo that lets you explore alternate lines freely, auto-complete that triggers when the remaining moves are purely mechanical foundation placements, and full statistics tracking so you can watch your win rate climb over time. The card size selector accommodates both large desktop monitors and smaller mobile screens, and all 52 cards are visible from the start — FreeCell's defining feature that sets it apart from nearly every other solitaire variant. The keyboard shortcuts are designed for efficiency: press Z or Ctrl+Z to undo your last move, H to show a hint, N to start a new game, and R to restart the current deal. Double-clicking the top card of any tableau column or a free cell card automatically sends it to the correct foundation if a valid move exists, saving clicks during the endgame when foundation placements dominate.
Understanding FreeCell
What Is FreeCell?
FreeCell is a single-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. Unlike most solitaire games, all cards are dealt face-up from the start — there are no hidden cards and no stock pile. The board has eight tableau columns, four free cells (temporary single-card storage), and four foundation piles. Your goal is to move all 52 cards onto the four foundations, sorted by suit from Ace to King. The game was popularized by Microsoft Windows in 1991 and is famous for the fact that nearly every one of its numbered deals is solvable with correct play.
How Does FreeCell Work?
All 52 cards are dealt face-up across 8 columns at the start — columns 1-4 get 7 cards each, columns 5-8 get 6 cards each. Only the top card of each column can be moved at a time. You can move a card to: an empty free cell, another tableau column if it is one rank lower and opposite color, or its suit's foundation pile if it is one rank higher than the current top. You can move a sequence of ordered cards as a group if you have enough free cells and empty columns: the formula is (empty free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns). Foundations build from Ace to King within each suit.
Strategy and Tips
The key strategic principles of FreeCell: First, never fill all four free cells at once — always keep at least one or two open as maneuver room. Second, empty tableau columns are more valuable than free cells for moving sequences; protect them. Third, follow the safe-to-move rule for foundations: a card is safe to move to a foundation only if both opposite-colored cards one rank below it are already on the foundations. Fourth, plan several moves ahead — FreeCell rewards thinking like a chess player. Fifth, use undo freely to explore alternative lines; there's rarely just one path to victory.
Solvability and Deal Numbers
Nearly all FreeCell deals are solvable — in the standard Microsoft numbered range of 1 to 32,000, only 8 deals are known to be unsolvable. Deal #11982 is the most famous. This contrasts sharply with Klondike Solitaire where roughly 21% of deals are unsolvable. Because all cards are visible from the start, FreeCell success depends almost entirely on player skill and planning rather than luck. Deal numbers in this game use a seeded shuffle so the same number always produces the same deal — you can share your deal number with others to let them try the same configuration.
How to Play FreeCell
Understand the Board Layout
FreeCell starts with all 52 cards dealt face-up across 8 tableau columns — columns 1-4 get 7 cards each, and columns 5-8 get 6 cards each. In the top-left are 4 free cells (each holds one card as temporary storage). In the top-right are 4 foundation piles (one per suit, built Ace to King). Every card is visible from the start — no hidden information means every game is a puzzle of logic and planning.
Move Cards Using Click-to-Move
Click any top card in a tableau column to select it (it will highlight). Then click a valid destination: another tableau column (must be one rank lower and opposite color), an empty free cell, or the matching foundation pile. Double-click the top card of a column to automatically send it to the correct foundation. You can move sequences of ordered cards as a group if you have enough free cells and empty columns — the more open space you have, the more cards you can move at once.
Manage Free Cells and Empty Columns Wisely
Free cells are your most critical resource. Each holds exactly one card temporarily while you reorganize the tableau. Never fill all 4 free cells at once — always keep at least one or two open for flexibility. Empty tableau columns are even more powerful, enabling you to move sequences of multiple cards. The formula for how many cards you can move at once is (empty free cells + 1) × 2 raised to the power of (empty columns). Plan ahead to avoid getting stuck.
Complete the Foundations and Win
Move cards to the 4 foundation piles — one per suit — building each from Ace up to King. Use the Auto-Complete button when it appears to finish the game automatically once only mechanical foundation placements remain. Use Undo (Z or Ctrl+Z) to backtrack and try different lines. Press H for a hint that progressively reveals source then destination. The game tracks your wins, streaks, and best times in the Stats panel — nearly every deal is winnable with patient, careful thinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every FreeCell game winnable?
Nearly every FreeCell game is winnable — approximately 99.999% of deals in the standard numbered range can be solved with correct play. This makes FreeCell dramatically different from Klondike Solitaire, where about 21% of deals are mathematically unsolvable. In the Microsoft FreeCell range of deals 1 through 32,000, only 8 deals are known to be unsolvable: #11982 (the most famous), #146692, #186216, #455889, #495505, #512118, #517776, and #781948. If you find a game you cannot solve, it is almost certainly a matter of needing a different strategy rather than the deal being impossible — try using the Undo button to explore alternate lines.
How does the multi-card sequence move work?
FreeCell technically only allows moving one card at a time, but implementations simulate moving a sequence of ordered cards as a group when you have enough free cells and empty columns to stage the move card by card. The formula is: maximum movable cards = (empty free cells + 1) × 2 raised to the power of (empty columns). For example, with 2 empty free cells and 1 empty column, you can move up to (2+1) × 2^1 = 6 cards as a group. The destination column does not count as empty if you're moving into it. This is why protecting free cells and empty columns is the central strategic challenge of the game.
What is the safe-to-move rule for foundations?
The safe-to-move rule helps you decide when it is safe to send a card to a foundation without potentially blocking yourself. A card is safe to move to a foundation when both cards of the opposite color that are one rank lower are already on their foundations. For example, the red 6 (hearts or diamonds) is safe to move only once both black 5s (clubs and spades) are already on the foundations. This matters because you sometimes need a foundation card back in the tableau as a stepping stone — for instance, a black 5 cannot be placed in the tableau unless there's a red 6 to place it on.
How does the hint system work?
Press H or click the Hint button to activate the progressive hint system. The first press highlights the source card in amber — the card that has a good move available. Press H again (or click Hint again) to also highlight the destination in amber, showing exactly where that card should move. Hints cycle through available moves in a priority order: foundation moves come first (since sending a card to the foundation is almost always beneficial), followed by tableau-to-tableau moves that free up cards. If no hint appears, the game has detected no obvious legal moves and you may need to consider undoing recent moves.
When does auto-complete trigger and what does it do?
Auto-complete activates when the game detects that all remaining moves are simple foundation placements — no more tableau rearrangement is needed and the game is mechanically complete from that point. When auto-complete is available, an Auto-Complete button appears in the control bar. Clicking it causes the game to automatically move all remaining cards to the foundations one at a time with a brief delay between each move, giving you the visual satisfaction of all cards arriving home. Auto-complete cannot trigger while any strategic decisions remain — if cards still need to be moved between tableau columns or to/from free cells, it is not yet available.
What are the best strategies for beginners?
Start by studying the whole board before making any moves — FreeCell rewards planning. Look for Aces and Twos that can go to foundations immediately. Try to expose buried low cards early by moving other cards out of the way. Keep at least 2 free cells empty at all times; running out of free cells is the most common way to get stuck. Prefer moves that unblock buried cards over moves that simply reorganize. Use the undo button generously to explore different approaches — there's no penalty for undoing moves. If you're stuck, use a hint to see what move the game suggests, then try to understand why that move is beneficial before making it.