Simple Simon
Added 02/2026
Simple Simon Solitaire: The Open-Information Spider Variant
By Martin Petroff
If you love the suit-building mechanics of Spider Solitaire but absolutely despise having your carefully laid plans ruined by a terrible, randomized draw from the stockpile, Simple Simon is going to be your new obsession. Despite the name, this game is anything but simple. It takes the core mechanics of Spider and merges them with the open-information philosophy of FreeCell. Every single card from the 52-card deck is dealt face up from the very first second of the game. There is no stockpile, no waste pile, and no hidden surprises. Mathematically, over 85% of all Simple Simon deals are completely winnable. If you lose, it wasn't bad luck—it was just a bad strategy!
How to Play
Because all 52 cards are on the board at once, the initial setup can look a little intimidating. However, once you understand how the columns are structured, navigating the board becomes an incredibly rewarding puzzle.
The Objective: Your goal is to assemble four complete sequences of cards in descending order, from King all the way down to Ace, within the exact same suit. Once a full sequence (for example, a complete set of 13 Spades) is built in the tableau, it is automatically removed from the board and sent to the foundation piles. Clear all 52 cards to win.
The Setup (The Tableau):
Use one standard 52-card deck. There is no stockpile.
Deal all 52 cards face up into 10 columns from left to right.
The layout follows a very specific, descending staircase pattern:
Columns 1, 2, and 3: Receive 8 cards each.
Column 4: Receives 7 cards.
Column 5: Receives 6 cards.
Column 6: Receives 5 cards.
Column 7: Receives 4 cards.
Column 8: Receives 3 cards.
Column 9: Receives 2 cards.
Column 10: Receives exactly 1 card.
How to Play:
Building the Columns: You can move any fully exposed card onto another card that is exactly one rank higher, regardless of its suit or color. (For example, you can place a 6 of Diamonds onto a 7 of Spades, Clubs, Hearts, or Diamonds).
Moving Sequences (The Spider Rule): While you can stack mixed suits all day long, you can only move a sequence of cards together if they are the exact same suit and in perfect descending order. A mixed-suit pile becomes dead weight, meaning you will have to move those cards one by one to untangle them later.
Empty Columns: If you manage to completely clear one of your 10 columns, you can move any single card or any valid same-suit sequence into that empty space. Because you start with columns of varying lengths, racing to empty those shorter columns on the right side of the board is your primary key to victory.
No Redeals: What you see is what you get. You must meticulously plan your moves using only the 52 cards visible on the board.