Klondike is the solitaire most people mean when they say "solitaire": seven piles of cards, four foundations to fill, and a stock to draw from. The goal is to move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, one per suit, in order from Ace to King. Here's everything you need to start.
The layout
- Tableau: seven piles across the table. The first has one card, the second two, up to seven in the last. Only the top card of each pile is face up.
- Stock: the remaining 24 cards, face down.
- Waste: where cards from the stock are turned face up.
- Foundations: four empty places, one for each suit. You build them up from Ace to King.
Building the foundations
Each foundation takes one suit, in order: A, 2, 3 … J, Q, K. As soon as an Ace is free, it can start a foundation; the 2 of the same suit goes on it next, and so on. You win when all four foundations reach their King.
Moving cards on the tableau
On the tableau you build down, in alternating colors: a red 9 can go on a black 10, a black 8 on that red 9, and so on.
- You can move a single card or a whole run of face-up cards in the right order.
- When you move the face-up cards off a pile, the face-down card underneath turns over.
- Only a King (or a run starting with a King) can go into an empty pile.
Turning face-down cards over is the heart of the game: every hidden card you reveal is a new option.
The stock and the waste
When you run out of moves on the table, tap the stock to turn cards onto the waste. The top card of the waste can be played to the tableau or a foundation.
- In Draw 1, one card turns at a time.
- In Draw 3, three cards turn at once, and only the top one is playable.
When the stock is empty, tap it again to turn the waste back over and go through it again. Read more in Draw 1 vs Draw 3.
Playing in Deckfold
- Tap a card to send it to the best place: a foundation if it fits, otherwise the best pile.
- Drag a card (or a run) if you want to choose exactly where it goes.
- Undo takes back moves, as many as you like.
- Hint shows a good move, or points at the stock when the best idea is to draw.
- When every card is face up and the stock is empty, Finish sends the rest home for you.
Your time, moves and score are shown at the top, and your statistics (win rate, best time, streaks) are on the home screen.
Can every game be won?
No. Some Klondike deals can't be won however well you play. In Deckfold, with Draw 1, every new deal is checked by a solver first so a win is possible; you can switch that off in Settings. Our guide on winnable solitaire deals explains how that works, and our solitaire strategy tips will help you win more of them.
