FreeCell

A strategic solitaire game where all 52 cards are dealt face-up from the start. With four free cells available as temporary storage, nearly every game is winnable with the right moves. The goal is to build four foundation piles by suit, from Ace to King.

The Deal#

All 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight tableau columns. The first four columns receive seven cards each, and the last four columns receive six cards each. Since every card is visible from the start, FreeCell is a game of pure strategy.

The Layout#

• Tableau: Eight columns of face-up cards where you build sequences.
• Foundation: Four piles where you build each suit from Ace to King.
• Free Cells: Four empty spaces that can each hold one card temporarily.

Rules#

1. Building Foundations: Move Aces to the foundation area, then build up each foundation by suit in sequence: Ace, 2, 3, and so on up to King.
2. Building the Tableau: Stack cards in descending order with alternating colors. For example, a red 6 can be placed on a black 7.
3. Using Free Cells: Move any single card to an empty free cell. This helps you access buried cards or reorganize the tableau. Cards in free cells can be moved back to the tableau or to foundations.
4. Moving Sequences: You can move sequences of cards, but the number you can move depends on available free cells. You can move one card plus one additional card for each empty free cell.
5. Empty Columns: Any card or valid sequence can be moved to an empty tableau column. Empty columns also increase how many cards you can move at once.

Moving Multiple Cards#

The number of cards you can move as a sequence depends on your available free cells and empty columns:

• 4 free cells + empty columns: Move larger sequences
• 3 free cells: Move up to 4 cards
• 2 free cells: Move up to 3 cards
• 1 free cell: Move up to 2 cards
• 0 free cells: Move only 1 card at a time

Empty tableau columns effectively double your moving capacity.

Scoring#

You earn 250 points for each card moved to a foundation pile, but lose those points if you move a card back from the foundation to the tableau. There’s a time penalty of 1 point per second that accumulates while you play, and each undo costs 100 points.

When you win, you receive a completion bonus starting at 15,000 points, which decays by 25 points for every second the game took. This means faster wins yield significantly higher scores, a 2-minute win adds about 12,000 bonus points, while a 10-minute win adds nothing.

The theoretical maximum score for a perfect instant win would be 28,000 points (52 cards × 250 + 15,000 bonus).

Strategy Tips#

• Move Aces and Twos immediately: Get low cards to the foundations early. They’re never useful in the tableau.
• Keep free cells open: Filling all your free cells severely limits your options. Use them strategically and empty them when possible.
• Preserve empty columns: Empty columns are even more valuable than free cells. Use them for high-ranking cards to build long sequences.
• Build foundations evenly: Don’t rush one suit too far ahead. You might need those middle cards for tableau sequences.
• Plan ahead: With all cards visible, think several moves ahead before committing to a sequence.