Klondike

What is Klondike Solitaire?

Klondike is the variant most people simply call "Solitaire" — the patience card game that shipped with Windows 3.0 in 1990 and taught millions of people to use a mouse. The goal is to move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, one per suit, built upward from Ace to King. Play begins with 28 cards dealt face-down into seven columns (the tableau), the top card of each column turned face-up. The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile you draw from when the tableau runs dry.

A brief history

The name Klondike is believed to derive from the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896–1899, though the exact origin of the game itself is disputed — patience games of similar design appear in European card-game literature from the early nineteenth century. The version bundled with Windows was designed by Wes Cherry, a Microsoft intern, as a tool to help office workers practise mouse skills. It became one of the most-played computer games in history entirely by accident, and its rules have remained virtually unchanged ever since.

Core strategy

The single most important principle in Klondike is to expose hidden cards as quickly as possible. Every face-down card in the tableau is a liability — you cannot plan around cards you cannot see. Prioritise moves that flip new cards over moves that simply shuffle visible cards between columns. When you have a choice between moving a card to the foundation and keeping it in the tableau to uncover hidden cards, consider keeping it: a card on the foundation cannot be moved back in most rulesets, and removing it too early can strand other cards.

Empty columns are powerful. Once a column is cleared, only a King can fill it, which gives you a free staging area for reorganising sequences. Clearing a column early is often worth sacrificing a few points, because the flexibility it provides can unlock large sections of the tableau. Similarly, do not exhaust the stock pile recklessly — once you have cycled through it, the game may become unsolvable if key cards are buried without accessible moves.

Scoring and time

This version uses a standard scoring model: each card moved to a foundation scores ten points, flipping a face-down card scores five, and a time bonus rewards faster completions. The ranked daily game resets at midnight and records your score, time, and move count against your personal bests. Only completed games update your streak — an unfinished game does not break it, but also does not extend it. All data is stored locally in your browser and never leaves your device.

Ranked vs. free play

One new ranked deal is generated every calendar day from a seeded shuffle, so every player who visits on that day faces the same arrangement. Completing the ranked game counts toward your streak and records. After finishing you can start a new free-play game at any time — free games use a random shuffle and do not affect your statistics, making them ideal for practising sequences or simply enjoying a few hands without pressure.

Tips for beginners

When you are starting out, focus on one thing at a time: uncovering face-down cards. Resist the temptation to move Aces straight to the foundation at the expense of leaving useful cards inaccessible. Watch the suits carefully — moving a red seven onto a black eight might block a black seven from ever reaching a red eight if the remaining red eights are buried. Think two or three moves ahead before committing. Over time you will develop a feel for which configurations are winnable and which deals have gone cold, and your completion rate will climb steadily.