Klondike Solitaire
Added 02/2026
Klondike Solitaire: The Undisputed King of Card Games
By Martin Petroff
When 99% of the world says they are playing "Solitaire," this is the game they are talking about. Made globally famous as the default card game pre-installed on the Windows operating system in the 1990s, Klondike is the absolute gold standard of solo card games. It perfectly balances luck and strategy, requiring a standard 52-card deck and a sharp eye for hidden opportunities. Whether you play the relaxing "Draw 1" version or the punishing "Draw 3" variation, Klondike is the foundational game that every player needs to master.
How to Play
While it is easy to learn, mastering the board takes practice. Here is exactly how to set up and conquer a game of Klondike.
The Objective: Your goal is to move all 52 cards into four "Foundation" piles at the top of the board. You must build these piles by suit (Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, Clubs), starting with the Ace and ascending in order all the way up to the King.
The Setup (The Tableau):
Deal 28 cards into seven columns (the Tableau).
The first column gets 1 card face up.
The second gets 1 card face down, and 1 face up.
The third gets 2 face down, and 1 face up. Continue this pattern until the seventh column has 6 cards face down and 1 face up.
The remaining 24 cards become your Stockpile (or Draw pile).
How to Play:
Building the Board: You can move face-up cards around the Tableau, but you must place them in descending order and alternating colors. (For example, you can place a black 8 onto a red 9).
Moving Stacks: You can move entire sequences of face-up cards together, as long as the alternating color and descending order rules are maintained.
Revealing Cards: When you move a face-up card and expose a face-down card underneath it, you flip the face-down card over.
Empty Columns: If you completely clear a column in the Tableau, you can only move a King (or a sequence starting with a King) into that empty space.
Drawing Cards: If you run out of moves on the board, draw from the Stockpile. You can play "Draw 1" (turning over one card at a time) or the traditional "Draw 3" (turning over three cards, but only being able to play the top one).