Learn a new solitaire variation

Almost everyone's mental image of solitaire is Klondike, which is unfortunate because it is among the least satisfying variants. A large share of Klondike deals are unwinnable regardless of how well you play. To learn a new solitaire variation is to discover games where your decisions actually determine the outcome.

Why learn a new solitaire variation is worth an hour

FreeCell is the clearest example: nearly every deal is winnable with correct play, which makes losing informative rather than random. That single property changes the experience from luck with a decision layer into a genuine puzzle. Spider and Yukon sit between the two, offering strategic depth with some deals still genuinely lost from the start.

How to learn a new solitaire variation step by step

1. 1

   Start with FreeCell

   Nearly all deals are winnable with correct play, so a loss tells you something rather than nothing.

2. 2

   Learn to plan several moves ahead

   FreeCell rewards looking at the consequence of a sequence rather than taking each available move.

3. 3

   Keep free cells empty

   Empty cells and empty columns are what allow you to move long sequences. Filling them early is the classic beginner mistake.

4. 4

   Try Spider at one suit first

   Single-suit Spider is genuinely approachable. Two-suit and four-suit are substantially harder and worth building up to gradually.

5. 5

   Use undo while learning

   Exploring alternative lines is how you learn the structure. Play without undo once you know the game.

Tips to get more out of it

• Physical cards slow you down enough to actually plan, which improves your play noticeably compared with clicking quickly through an app.
• Most apps let you replay the same deal, which is genuinely useful for understanding where you went wrong.
• Yukon and Forty Thieves are both worth knowing as well, and each rewards planning considerably more than Klondike does.

Ways to mix it up

If you want maximum difficulty, four-suit Spider is one of the hardest common variants and rarely goes out. If you prefer physical cards, Accordion and Clock need only a deck and a table and are very different in feel.

Learn a new solitaire variation: frequently asked questions