Rules
Easy Solitaire rules at a glance
- The game is based on Klondike Solitaire with seven tableau columns, stock, waste, and four foundations.
- The default stock is turn one: draw one card at a time to the waste.
- The waste can be recycled into the stock for unlimited passes.
- New games start from a normal random shuffle.
- Aces start on the foundations by default, but that option can be turned off before pressing New game.
- Tableau cards are face up by default, with a Peek button available for hidden-card play.
- Tableau stacking ignores color by default: any 6 can go on any 7.
- Relaxed empty columns allow any card or valid sequence to fill an empty tableau column.
- FreeCell-style holding slots default to zero, and you can choose zero, one, or two slots before a new game.
- The optional Joker can bridge tableau sequences, but it does not move to a foundation.
- Win by moving all 52 standard cards to the suit foundations.
Intent
What makes this Solitaire easy?
Many people searching for easy solitaire want the familiar game without the harsh parts of classic Klondike. The biggest expectation is usually turn-one Solitaire: draw one card from the stock instead of three, and keep recycling the waste until you find the card you need. This page uses that as the baseline, then adds optional assists that reduce hidden information, empty-column frustration, and one-move mistakes.
Easy does not mean automatic. You still choose which cards to move, when to use a holding slot, and whether a foundation move helps or blocks your tableau. The difference is that the game gives you more information, more space, and more ways to recover.
The deal itself is still a normal shuffled layout. The winnable check does not swap in a nearly finished shortcut board. Instead, New game keeps trying normal shuffles until the local solver proves one under your selected easy rules.
Features
Easy Solitaire options and how they help
Aces start on the foundationsThe four suits are already opened, so early progress is visible and low cards have somewhere useful to go.
Face-up tableauThe default deal shows every tableau card. You can plan instead of guessing what is buried.
Guaranteed winnable dealWhen the option is on, New game keeps generating normal shuffles until the local solver proves one.
Unlimited undoEvery move can be taken back during the current game, which makes experiments feel safe.
Smart hintHints prefer foundation progress, revealing moves, tableau improvements, and then stock actions.
Relaxed empty columnsEmpty tableau columns can accept any card or legal sequence, not only kings.
Suit-agnostic stackingTableau cards build down by rank without requiring alternating colors.
FreeCell slotsThe default is zero slots, with optional one-slot or two-slot holding space for an easier next deal.
Joker wildcardOptional. The Joker can sit inside tableau sequences as a flexible bridge when a rank gap blocks you.
Peek buttonHold Peek to glance at face-down cards when you turn off the face-up tableau option.
Available-move highlightsAfter you select a card or packet, legal destinations glow subtly.
Unlimited stock passesThe stock draws one card at a time, and the waste can be recycled as often as needed.
Aces
Should aces start in the foundations?
For an easy version, yes. Aces are the keys that unlock foundation building. When they are buried in the tableau or stock, a beginner can play several minutes before the first real foundation path opens. Starting them on the foundations gives every suit a visible home from move one.
The toggle exists because some players still want the feeling of a normal shuffled deck. If you turn it off, the aces go back into the deal and the game becomes closer to classic draw-one Klondike.
Winnability
How the winnable-check option works
With the winnable check on, the game generates a normal shuffle and runs a local search under the current easy rules. If the solver cannot prove that shuffle, the game tries another normal shuffle. The accepted deal is the first one the solver can prove.
This is intentionally a play aid, not a shortcut layout. When you change the options, nothing happens to the current board; press New game when you want the next proven deal to use those settings.
Moves
How to play Solitaire Easy
Build the four foundations from ace to king by exact suit. In the tableau, build downward by rank. With the default any-color stacking option, a 9 can go on any 10. If you turn that option off, the tableau returns to the classic red-on-black or black-on-red pattern.
Empty columns are also friendlier here. Classic Klondike normally lets only kings fill an empty tableau column. Easy Solitaire lets any card or valid sequence use that space when relaxed columns is on. This single rule makes a huge difference because it turns empty spaces into flexible work areas instead of king-only parking spots.
Use the stock when the tableau stalls. Draw one card to the waste, play the top waste card if it fits, or keep drawing. When the stock empties, recycle the waste and continue. There is no pass limit in the default easy mode.
Information
Face-up tableau and Peek
Face-up tableau is the clearest beginner assist because it changes the game from partly-hidden luck into visible planning. You can see which columns are worth opening and which low cards are waiting for foundations.
If you prefer a more classic hidden-card feel, turn face-up tableau off. The Peek button then becomes useful: hold it to glance at hidden cards without permanently revealing them.
Space
FreeCell slots and why they help
A FreeCell slot is a small safety valve. It lets you park one card while you move a sequence, clear a column, or reach a foundation card underneath. One slot is enough to rescue many beginner mistakes; two slots make the game much more forgiving.
The tradeoff is that a full slot is still a blocker. Try to use it for a short tactical job, then empty it as soon as the tableau gives you a legal landing place.
Joker
Using the optional Joker wildcard
The Joker is the most playful assist, so it is off by default. When enabled, it joins the deck as a tableau wildcard. It can sit between ranks, move onto a column, or receive another card as a bridge. It does not count as a foundation card and does not need to be cleared to win.
Use the Joker when you want a rescue tool for stalemates. Leave it off when you want Easy Solitaire to feel closer to ordinary Klondike.
Strategy
Easy Solitaire strategy
Even with friendly rules, the best moves still create new options. Move low cards to foundations when they no longer support useful tableau cards. Open columns because they let you reorganize, not just because a space is available. Use FreeCell slots for short moves that immediately unblock something.
The smart hint is designed for this style of play. It looks first for foundation progress, then for moves that reveal hidden cards, then for useful tableau moves, temporary holding moves, and stock actions. You can ignore a hint, undo a line, or change the options at any time.
Modes
Make it easier or more classic
The easiest setup is the winnable check on, aces started, face-up tableau, relaxed columns, any-color stacking, two FreeCell slots, and the Joker. That version is best for learning the flow of foundations without being punished by the shuffle.
To move back toward classic Solitaire, turn off the Joker, use zero FreeCell slots, turn off relaxed columns, turn off any-color stacking, and put the aces back into the deck. Turn off face-up tableau last, because hidden cards are the biggest difficulty jump.
Mistakes
Common Easy Solitaire mistakes
- Leaving a FreeCell slot full after its job is done.
- Using an empty column for a move that does not create another useful move.
- Sending medium cards to foundations before checking whether the tableau still needs them.
- Turning on every assist, then forgetting which rules are active.
- Drawing through the stock too quickly when the current waste card already solves a blockage.
- Using the Joker as a permanent decoration instead of a temporary bridge.
Nearby games
Easy Solitaire compared with Klondike, FreeCell, and other solitaire games
Easy Solitaire is closest to Klondike because it keeps the seven-column tableau and suit foundations. It borrows one idea from FreeCell by adding temporary holding space, and it borrows from practice modes by giving you face-up information and optional winnable checking.
If you want fewer assists, play the standard Solitaire or Klondike page. If you enjoy visible planning, try FreeCell. If you want something faster and lighter, Golf, TriPeaks, Pyramid, and Aces Up all remove cards instead of slowly building four full foundations.