FreeCell

1 Overview

FreeCell is a solitaire card game played with all 52 cards dealt face-up in 8 columns. Four "free cells" act as temporary parking spaces for individual cards. Four foundation piles build up from Ace to King by suit. Unlike Klondike, almost every FreeCell deal is winnable -- only a tiny fraction of deals are impossible -- which makes it one of the most satisfying solitaire games for players who want a genuine puzzle rather than a luck-dependent one.

FreeCell became famous as a Microsoft Windows pack-in game. Its fully-visible state (all cards face-up from the start) means every game is a pure logic puzzle. High win rates are achievable with careful play.

2 Setup

1. Deal all 52 cards face-up into 8 columns: the first 4 columns get 7 cards each; the last 4 get 6 cards each.
2. All cards are visible from the start. There is no hidden information.
3. Four free cells (empty spaces) sit above the columns on the left.
4. Four foundation piles sit above the columns on the right.

3 Gameplay

On each turn you may make one of these moves:

• Move a card to a free cell: Any single top card can be moved to an empty free cell (max 4 free cells total).
• Move a card to the foundation: The top card of any column or free cell can be moved to the matching suit foundation pile, in Ace-to-King order.
• Move a card to a tableau column: Any top card (from column or free cell) can be placed on top of a column card that is one rank higher and the opposite color. Example: Red 7 can go on Black 8.
• Move to an empty column: Any single card can move to a completely empty column.

Moving sequences: you can move a sequence of alternating-color, descending-rank cards as a unit IF you have enough free cells and empty columns to support the move. The maximum sequence you can move = (free cells available + 1) x 2^(empty columns available). Most software handles this automatically.

Win: Move all 52 cards to the foundation piles.

4 Strategy

• Plan 10+ moves ahead. FreeCell is a logic puzzle. Spend time at the start reading the layout and planning a long-term sequence before moving anything.
• Keep free cells as free as possible. Free cells are your safety valve. Filling all 4 very early severely limits your options. Use them strategically, not reflexively.
• Build foundation piles evenly. Don't rush one suit's foundation too far ahead of others -- you may need cards of that suit for tableau moves later.
• Empty columns are extremely powerful. Creating an empty column dramatically increases how many cards you can move at once. Prioritize emptying the shortest columns early.
• Almost every deal is solvable. Only a handful of the 32,000 FreeCell deals in the original Windows version are unsolvable. If you're stuck, look for an alternate approach rather than assuming the deal is impossible.