FreeCell FAQ
The questions people ask most about FreeCell - the game, the odds, the free cells, and how this site works. Here's the short answer to each; click through for the full explanation with examples. Looking for the rules of a specific variant? Head to the Rules hub.
Common FreeCell questions
What is FreeCell?
FreeCell is a solitaire game played with one 52-card deck dealt face up into eight columns. You have four free cells - open spaces that each hold a single card - and the goal is to build all four suits up from Ace to King on the foundations. Because every card is visible from the start, FreeCell is almost pure strategy.
Is every FreeCell game winnable?
Almost, but not quite. About 99.999% of FreeCell deals can be solved with perfect play, which is why the game feels so fair. Of the classic 32,000 numbered Microsoft deals, only one - deal number 11982 - has been proven impossible to win.
How many cards can you move at once in FreeCell?
By the strict rules you only ever move one card at a time, but free cells and empty columns let you shift a whole run in one motion. The formula is (free cells + 1) times 2 to the power of empty columns. With all four cells open and no empty columns, that means five cards at once.
What are the free cells for?
The four free cells are open spaces that each hold exactly one card. They give the game its name and its strategy: you use them to park cards temporarily, freeing up moves and letting you shuffle stacks around. Think of them as four extra hands that can each carry one card.
How do you win FreeCell?
You win by moving all 52 cards to the four foundations, each built up from Ace to King in a single suit. The path there is about planning: get the Aces and low cards up early, keep free cells and columns open, and always think a few moves ahead before you commit.
Is FreeCell luck or skill?
FreeCell is almost entirely skill. Because all 52 cards are dealt face up and around 99.999% of deals are winnable, there is no hidden information and almost no luck. Whether you win or lose comes down to your planning, not the shuffle.
Where did FreeCell come from?
FreeCell was invented by Paul Alfille in 1978, who programmed it for the PLATO educational computer system. It stayed a niche computer game for years until Microsoft included it with Windows 95, which introduced it to hundreds of millions of people.
How is FreeCell different from Klondike?
The big difference is visibility. Klondike hides most cards face down and gives you a draw pile, so luck plays a large role. FreeCell deals all 52 cards face up with no draw pile and four free cells, making it a near-pure skill game where almost every deal is winnable.
What is the hardest FreeCell deal?
Among the classic 32,000 numbered Microsoft deals, number 11982 is the hardest - it is the only one proven to be impossible to win. A handful of others, like deals 617 and 1941, are famously difficult but can still be solved with perfect play.
How do the foundations work in FreeCell?
The four foundations are the goal piles, one per suit. You build each one upward starting with the Ace, then the two, three, and so on up to the King. Move all 52 cards onto the foundations and you win the game.
Should you always empty a column in FreeCell?
Empty columns are powerful, but emptying one is not always the right move. An empty column lets you move far more cards at once and store cards you cannot place elsewhere. Still, sometimes holding a useful sequence in place beats clearing the column, so it depends on the position.
What is Baker's Game?
Baker's Game plays exactly like FreeCell with one key change: instead of building down in alternating colors, you build down in the same suit. That single rule makes it noticeably harder, since matching suits is more restrictive than matching colors.
What is Eight Off?
Eight Off is a FreeCell-style game with eight free cells instead of four, and six of those cells already hold a card when you deal. You build down in the same suit within the columns, and only Kings can move into an empty column. The extra cells make it more forgiving than it first looks.
What is Seahaven Towers?
Seahaven Towers deals all 52 cards into ten columns and gives you four free cells, two of which start filled. You build down in the same suit, and only Kings can be placed into an empty column. The wider layout and same-suit rule make it a tough, satisfying variant.
What is ForeCell?
ForeCell is a FreeCell variant where the four free cells start full - each holds a card at the deal. You still build down in alternating colors, but only Kings can move into an empty column. Starting with no open cells makes ForeCell a tighter, harder opening than classic FreeCell.
Is FreeCell good for your brain?
FreeCell gives your brain a real workout in planning, sequencing, and thinking ahead. Because every card is visible, the game is pure problem-solving with no luck to hide behind. It is not a magic cure for anything, but it is genuine, focused mental exercise that many people find calming.
What is a good FreeCell time?
For an average deal, finishing in under two minutes is a solid time, and skilled players often solve easy deals in well under a minute. But FreeCell is not really a speed game - accuracy matters more than raw speed, and hard deals can fairly take much longer.
Can you play FreeCell on mobile?
Yes. FreeCell.now runs right in your phone or tablet browser, with no app to download. The board scales to your screen, and you can tap or drag cards to move them. You can even add the site to your home screen so it opens like an app.
Do I need an account to play FreeCell?
No. You can play every game on FreeCell.now as a guest, with no signup at all, and still appear on the leaderboards. The only account option is an optional Google sign-in, which mainly lets you keep a permanent name across devices.
How does multiplayer FreeCell work?
Multiplayer FreeCell puts two players on the exact same seeded deal at the same time, racing live to solve it first. Because you both get an identical board, it is a pure test of skill and speed - no luck advantage for either side. Whoever finishes the deal first wins the race.