Other Games for People Who Like Solvable Problems
FreeCell is really a puzzle wearing a deck of cards, so the games that follow on best from it are not always other card games. This page is a shortlist of 19 worth playing - all free, all instant in the browser, none of them asking you to download or sign up for anything.
Five groups. The other card games are the obvious neighbours, though they hide information where FreeCell hides none. The puzzle and tile games are the closer match in spirit - fully visible problems. Board games remove randomness altogether, dice games centre it, and one entry is a timer.
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Solitaire
The card game you play while thinking about something else - in a dozen different forms. Card Games
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Spades
Partnership trick-taking built around a contract you announce before the first card. Card Games
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Hearts
Duck every heart and the queen of spades - or take the lot and hand the points to everyone else. Card Games
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Mahjong
Clear the board by matching free tiles, across layouts from the classic Turtle to the brutal Dragon. Puzzle & Arcade
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Rummy
Build sets and runs and go out first, across the classic Rummy variants. Card Games
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Puzzle
Sliding tiles, logic grids, nonograms and a dozen more - a different shape of problem each time. Puzzle & Arcade
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Tetris
Eleven ways to play the falling-block game, from a calm endless mode to 20G instant gravity. Puzzle & Arcade
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Pac-Man
Learn the maze, learn the four ghosts, and find out how far pattern beats reflex. Puzzle & Arcade
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Gin Rummy
Ten cards, one draw, deadwood to manage and the constant question of whether to knock now or hold for gin. Card Games
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Canasta
Melds of seven, wild cards, frozen discard piles and the deep partnership scoring that made Canasta a household game. Card Games
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Blackjack
Seventeen variants and a strategy chart - the correct move is known, following it is the hard part. Card Games
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Checkers
Eleven genuine draughts variants, from the 8x8 standard to flying kings on a 10x10 board. Board & Tile
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Reversi
Flip discs to take the board - but own too many too early and you run out of moves. Board & Tile
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Dominoes
Tile matching with a scorekeeper attached, across Draw, Block, All Fives and more. Board & Tile
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Ludo
The race-and-capture board game in eight regional flavours, including the Navy's Uckers. Board & Tile
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Tic Tac Toe
Three in a row, plus the larger grids and inverted rules where it stops being trivial. Board & Tile
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Yahtzee
Five dice, thirteen boxes, and one genuinely interesting decision every single turn. Dice & Casino
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Craps
Eight variants and one bet on the table that carries no house edge at all. Dice & Casino
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Chess Clock
Fischer increment, Bronstein delay or plain sudden death, for any two-player game. Tools
Happy where you are?
You do not have to leave FreeCell behind to try any of these. If you would rather stay, the main game is one click away, the rules hub covers how everything works, and the FAQ answers the common questions.
Common questions
How long does a game take?
It varies enormously. The dice and arcade games are usually done inside five minutes. Card games run ten to twenty. A board game against a thinking opponent can take half an hour, and the tile puzzles take as long as you let them - there is no clock on most of them.
Can I play any of these with someone else?
Several of them, yes. The card and board games include head-to-head modes, and a few run real-time multiplayer where both players see the same position. The puzzle and arcade entries are solo by nature, though scores are comparable.
Which should I try first?
The list is ordered with the closest relatives at the top, so the first group is the safest bet. If you would rather pick by mood than by category, the shorter the game the easier it is to abandon - start with something that takes five minutes.
What other free games can I play?
Nineteen are listed on this page, all free in the browser with no download and no signup. They cover puzzle and arcade games, a full card cabinet, board and tile games, dice games and a free chess clock. Every one of them plays instantly as a guest.