FreeCell

FreeCell

FreeCell is a solitaire card game where all 52 cards are dealt face-up at the start. Because every card is visible, almost every deal is solvable with optimal play. The game rewards careful planning over multiple moves.

Layout

Deal all 52 cards face-up into 8 tableau columns:

• Columns 1–4: 7 cards each (28 cards)
• Columns 5–8: 6 cards each (24 cards)

Leave space for:

• 4 free cells (top left): single-card temporary storage, empty at start
• 4 foundations (top right): one per suit, empty at start

Foundations

Build each foundation up by suit from Ace to King (A→2→3→…→K). Cards moved to a foundation may not be moved back.

Tableau Play

Only the bottom card of each column is available to move. A card may be moved to:

• A tableau column if it is one rank lower and opposite colour (red on black, black on red)
• A free cell (one card per free cell, any card)
• A foundation if it is the correct next card for that suit

A card in a free cell may be moved to a tableau column (following the colour/rank rule), to a foundation, or to an empty column.

Any card may be moved to an empty tableau column.

Supermove

A sequence of cards in alternating colour and descending rank may be moved as a unit if there is enough free space. Maximum cards movable as a unit = (free cells available + 1) × 2^(empty tableau columns). Most software handles this automatically.

Winning

All 52 cards moved to the four foundations (each built from Ace to King by suit). The game is lost when no legal moves remain.