Klondike, FreeCell or Spider: which solitaire should you play?
Most people know one solitaire game well and have a vague idea of the others. Here’s a plain comparison of the big three, so you can pick the one that suits your mood.
The short answer
- Want the classic? Play Klondike. It’s the one that came with Windows.
- Like to plan ahead? Play FreeCell. Every card is visible and almost every deal can be won.
- Want a longer, deeper game? Play Spider. Start with one suit.
Klondike
Klondike is a mix of skill and luck. Seven columns, a stock pile and four foundations. Some cards start face down, so you’re always working with partial information, and some deals can’t be won no matter what you do.
A game takes five to ten minutes. Turn 1 (one card from the stock at a time) is relaxed. Turn 3 is the traditional version and much harder, because you can only reach every third card on each pass.
Good for: a familiar, comfortable game with a bit of suspense.
FreeCell
FreeCell deals all 52 cards face up across eight columns and gives you four free cells to park cards in. There’s no stock and nothing hidden, so it’s almost entirely skill. Of the 32,000 deals in the original Microsoft version, only one can’t be solved.
That makes it satisfying in a different way. When you lose, it’s usually because you missed something, and you can often see what it was. Games take five to fifteen minutes depending on how carefully you think.
Good for: people who like puzzles and hate losing to bad luck.
Spider
Spider uses two decks and ten columns. You build runs from King down to Ace, and each complete run in one suit clears itself off the table. You win by clearing eight.
The number of suits sets the difficulty. One suit is gentle and very winnable. Two suits asks you to keep the suits apart. Four suits is one of the hardest well-known solitaires. Games run longer, often fifteen minutes or more.
Good for: a longer session, and anyone who enjoys slowly untangling a mess.
At a glance
| Klondike | FreeCell | Spider | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decks | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hidden cards | Yes | No | Yes |
| Luck | Some | Almost none | Some |
| Typical game | 5 to 10 min | 5 to 15 min | 15 min or more |
| Winnable deals | Most in Turn 1 | Nearly all | Depends on suits |
Still not sure?
Play one of each. They’re all free, they all run in your browser, and you can switch between them from the All games menu at any point. If you like quick rounds, Golf and Pyramid are worth a look too.