Solitaire Classic
The play area for this title is reserved and awaiting a licensed embed.
Solitaire Classic
Solitaire is the game Microsoft taught the world for free in 1990, and it turns out a few hundred million people never stopped playing. This is Klondike, the version most people mean when they say solitaire.
| Category | Puzzle Games |
|---|---|
| Players | 1 player |
| Developer | Classic card game |
| Released | 1783 |
| Controls | Mouse / touch |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Typical session | 5 – 25 min |
| Price | Free |
How to play Solitaire Classic
These are the controls for the browser version. Click into the game area once before you start so the game has keyboard focus.
Solitaire Classic tips and strategy
- Do not play an Ace or a 2 to the foundation immediately if you might need it in the tableau.
- Prefer moves that turn over a face-down card in the tableau over moves that merely tidy the board.
- Empty columns are precious. Only fill one with a King if it unlocks something significant.
- When you have a choice between two tableau moves, take the one that exposes more hidden cards.
- Track the cards you have not seen yet. Endgame play is mostly arithmetic about what is left in the stock.
About Solitaire Classic
The goal is to move every card into four foundation piles, one per suit, ordered from Ace up to King. You build the foundations using the tableau — seven columns of cards, with only the bottom card face up — and the stock pile, which you turn over one card at a time.
On the tableau you build downwards in alternating colours, so a red six goes on a black seven. Empty columns can only take a King. Cards in the foundations and the tableau must respect the ordering, which is where the puzzle actually lives.
Roughly four out of five Klondike deals are solvable, which means losing is usually a decision problem rather than bad luck — usually from moving a card to a foundation too early.
Solitaire Classic: frequently asked questions
Is Solitaire free to play here?
Yes. Classic Klondike solitaire is free to play in your browser with no download, no account and no payment.
What is the difference between Klondike and other solitaire games?
Klondike is the seven-column version with four foundations that shipped with Windows. Spider, FreeCell and Pyramid are different games with different rules.
What percentage of Solitaire deals are winnable?
Studies of Klondike suggest roughly 79% of deals are solvable with optimal play, so most losses come from earlier decisions rather than unwinnable layouts.
Does solitaire save my game?
Most browser versions save automatically in local storage, so you can close the tab and continue the same deal later on the same device.