How to play FreeCell
The whole deck is dealt face up into eight columns: four columns of seven cards and four of six. Above them are four free cells (left) and four foundations (right). Nothing is hidden – every deal is a puzzle you can see completely.
- Goal: move all the cards to the foundations, one suit each, from Ace up to King.
- Columns: place a card on one that is one rank higher and of the other colour. Any card can go into an empty column.
- Free cells: each holds one card of any kind – a parking spot for a card that is in the way.
Moving runs: the supermove
Officially you move one card at a time. In practice, a run of cards can travel together whenever it could be moved card by card through the free cells and empty columns. The game does that for you, up to this many cards:
cards at once = (empty free cells + 1) × 2empty columns
| Empty free cells | No empty column | 1 empty column | 2 empty columns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
When the run goes into an empty column, that column does not count: with 4 free cells and 1 empty column, you can move 5 cards into it, not 10.
Numbered deals, all of them winnable
The deals follow the classic FreeCell numbering, so a number means the same cards everywhere that numbering is used. A volunteer project in the mid-1990s tried to solve all of the original 32,000 deals and managed every one except #11982, which computer searches have since shown cannot be won. We offer the other 31,999. Type a number in “New game” to play a specific deal, or send yours to a friend.
Five FreeCell tips
- Look before you move. Find the Aces and Twos and count how many cards sit on top of them.
- Keep free cells free. Each card you park lowers how many cards you can move at once.
- Empty a column early. One empty column doubles your moving power; two quadruple it.
- Move long runs into empty columns last. Use the empty column to rearrange first, then fill it.
- Don’t chase the foundations. Getting low cards home matters, but not at the cost of filling every free cell.
Undo, hints and auto-play
You can undo two moves per deal and ask for one hint every 20 seconds. Cards that can never be needed again – Aces, Twos, and cards whose lower cards of the other colour are already home – move up to the foundations by themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Can every FreeCell game be won?
Almost. Of the classic 32,000 numbered deals, only deal #11982 cannot be won. That is why we offer deals 1 to 32,000 except that one: every deal you get here has a solution.
What do the deal numbers mean?
They follow the classic numbering that FreeCell has used since the early 1990s, so deal #617 here has exactly the same cards as deal #617 in other FreeCell games that use the same numbering.
How many cards can I move at once?
One card per step, but the game moves a whole run for you when there is room to do it card by card: (free cells + 1) × 2 to the power of the empty columns. With 2 free cells and 1 empty column, that is 6 cards.
Why do some cards jump to the foundations by themselves?
Only cards that can never be needed again go up automatically: Aces, Twos, and any card whose two lower cards of the other colour are already home. The rest stay where you can use them.
Does FreeCell work offline?
Yes. After the first visit with internet, the game, your saved deal and your statistics all work offline.