How to play Open Solitaire
The rules
- Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, one pile per suit, from Ace to King.
- The seven columns start with 1 to 7 cards, all face up.
- In the columns, put a card on a card one higher of the other colour (a red 6 on a black 7). A run moves as one.
- Only a King goes into an empty column.
- The other 24 cards lie face up in the stock row. You can play any of them at any time, to a foundation or onto a column.
How to play here
- Tap a card to move it to the best place: its foundation, else a column that takes it.
- Drag a card, or a run of cards, onto the place you want.
- The stock row is sorted by rank, so you can find a card fast.
- When the stock row is empty and every column is one run, the rest goes to the foundations by itself.
- Keyboard: the arrows move between the cards, Enter moves the selected card to the best place. Shift+Enter picks a card; then choose the place with the arrows and press Enter.
- Undo takes back the last move. A hint shows the next good move, or a possible move when it finds no sure way to win from the position.
Difficulty levels
The level comes from how much searching the solver needed to win the deal. With every card in view, this is close to the planning you need.
| Level | The solver |
|---|---|
| Easy | found a win almost at once |
| Medium | tried up to 2,000 positions |
| Hard | tried up to 15,000 positions |
| Expert | tried more than 15,000 positions: expect to undo |
Tips
- Look for the cards that block others: a card under a card that does not fit cannot move until that card goes.
- Do not put every stock card into the columns at once. A card in the stock row stays free; a card in a column can block what is under it.
- Keep an empty column for a King that has cards under it.
- Before a long run moves, check where its bottom card can go next.
FAQ
- How is this different from Solitaire?
- Every card is face up from the start, in the columns and in the stock. There is no drawing: the stock cards lie in a row below the columns, and you can play any of them at any time. Nothing is hidden, so the game is about planning, not luck.
- Can every deal be won?
- Yes. A solver has played every deal through to the end before it is offered, so there is always a way to win. If you get stuck, undo some moves or ask for a hint.
- Why can I not move a card that I can see?
- In a column, a card moves only with the cards on top of it, and only when they form a run: each card one lower and of the other colour than the card under it. A card under a card that does not fit stays where it is until that card moves.
- Can I take a card back from a foundation?
- Yes. The top card of a foundation can go back onto a column, if it fits there.
- Is there a new deal every day?
- Yes. A new deal is dealt every day at each of the four levels: easy, medium, hard and expert. Each level has 400 deals, so a deal does not come back for at least 400 days. Earlier deals are in the archive.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.