Cards
FreeCell
Every card is dealt face up, so FreeCell is almost pure skill. Use the four free cells well and nearly every deal can be won.
- Levels
- Classic, Strict
- Daily
- Classic
- Scored by
- Fastest time
- Today
- Daily puzzle
Setting up the board
Rules
- 1.Move all fifty two cards to the four foundations, one per suit, building up from ace to king.
- 2.In the eight columns, build down in alternating colours: a red six on a black seven. Any card can go into an empty column.
- 3.Each of the four free cells holds one card. Use them to park cards while you dig.
- 4.You move one card at a time, but runs can move together when there is room: with f empty free cells and e empty columns you can move (f + 1) times 2 to the power of e cards at once. Moving into an empty column, that column does not count.
- 5.Cards that nothing else can need go to the foundations on their own after each move.
- 6.Deals are numbered 1 to 32000 with the classic numbering, so deal 1 here is the same deal 1 everywhere.
How to play
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Tap or click a card | Play it, or the run below it, to its best place |
| Double click | Send a card to its foundation |
| Drag and drop | Move a card or run exactly where you want |
| U or Z | Undo the last move (Classic only) |
| N | Start a new deal |
| Tab, Enter, Space | Move between cards; Enter plays one, Space picks it up and puts it down |
- Classic: Undo as often as you like
- Strict: No undo: every move counts
Strategy
- Free the aces and twos first. Look for them before your first move.
- Free cells are precious. Fill one only when it unlocks something; every full cell halves what you can move as a run.
- An empty column is worth more than a free cell: it doubles the size of run you can move.
- Build long, ordered runs in one column rather than short runs everywhere.
- Plan a few moves ahead: count how many cells a dig will need before you start it.
Questions
- Can every FreeCell deal be won?
- Of the classic deals 1 to 32000, all but one can be won: deal 11982. Ribbia never deals it at random or as the daily.
- What is a supermove?
- Moving a run of several cards in one go. It is a shortcut for moving them one by one through the free cells and empty columns, so the run can only be as long as that space allows.
- How does the daily FreeCell work?
- Everyone gets the same numbered deal each UTC day, played on Classic. Win it to keep your daily streak.
- Can I play a particular deal number?
- Yes. Add ?seed= and the number to the page address, for example ?seed=617, to play that classic deal.