Klondike Solitaire
The classic solitaire game. Choose how many cards you draw and how hard the deal is.
About Klondike
Klondike is the solitaire game most people mean when they say solitaire. You build seven columns of cards in alternating colours and send every card to four foundation piles, one for each suit. On Solitaire Craft you decide how many cards you turn from the stock each time, from 1 to 8, and you can pick a level based on how often test games on that deal were won.
How to play Klondike
- Build the seven columns downward in alternating colours. A red six can sit on a black seven.
- Move a whole run of face up cards together when the first card of the run fits its new column.
- Fill an empty column with a king, or with a run that starts with a king.
- Click the stock at the top left to turn cards onto the waste pile. When the stock runs out, click the empty space to go through the waste pile again.
- Build each foundation upward in one suit from the ace to the king. Win when all 52 cards are there.
- When every card left can go straight to the foundations, the game finishes itself.
Tips for Klondike
Turn over face down cards first
Every face down card hides a possible move. Work on the longest columns first, because they hold the most unknown cards.
Keep an empty column only for a king
An empty column is powerful, but only a king can fill it. Empty one when you have a king ready, and not before.
Be careful with the foundations
Aces and twos should go up at once. Higher cards sometimes work better left in the columns, where they can carry a run of the opposite colour.
Look at the whole table before you draw
Make every available move in the columns before you turn a card from the stock. A card from the stock cannot be put back.
Choose the draw count to match your mood
Drawing 1 card is gentle and leaves little to chance. Drawing 3 is the classic challenge. Drawing 8 turns every game into a puzzle.
Klondike levels
- Klondike Easy
Easy Klondike deals are ones that testers won at least 40 times in every 100 attempts. - Klondike Medium
Medium deals were won between 12 and 30 times in every 100 test attempts. - Klondike Hard
Hard deals were won between 1 and 5 times in every 100 test attempts. Each game has a single narrow route, and small choices early on decide whether you reach the end. - Klondike Near impossible
Near impossible deals have been proven winnable, yet fewer than 3 in every 2,000 test attempts won them. - Klondike Random shuffle
A random shuffle is an ordinary shuffled pack with no rating.
Questions about Klondike
Is Klondike the same as Solitaire?
In everyday use, yes. Solitaire is the name of a whole family of card games for one player, and Klondike is the one most people mean when they say solitaire. The solitaire game that came with Windows is Klondike. Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid and TriPeaks are other solitaire games, and you can play all of them on Solitaire Craft.
Can every Klondike game be won?
No. Many random shuffles cannot be won however well you play. The Near impossible level on Solitaire Craft only uses deals that have been solved at least once, so you know a way through exists.
What is the difference between draw 1 and draw 3?
Draw 1 turns a single card from the stock each time, so you can see every card in the stock as you go round. Draw 3 turns three cards and only the top one can be played, which hides cards and makes the game harder. On Solitaire Craft you can choose any number from 1 to 8.
Does Solitaire Craft finish the game for me?
Yes. Once every card in the columns is face up and the rest is certain, the remaining cards go to the foundations by themselves. You can switch this off in the new game settings.
Can I take cards back from the foundations?
Yes, as in many versions of the game. If you want a stricter game, switch that rule off in the settings and a card stays on a foundation once it is placed.
Is Klondike free to play here?
Yes. It is free, you do not need to register, and your record is kept in your own browser.
More games
Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, or see all of the games.