SolitareGames
Rules guide

Understand the core rules behind solitaire.

Solitaire variants change layouts and move rules, but most of them share the same building blocks: foundations, tableau play, stock management, and careful sequencing. This guide explains those fundamentals so it is easier to learn any game on the site.

Play KlondikeBrowse variants

Foundations

  • Most builder-style solitaire games ask you to move cards to foundations in ascending rank, usually from Ace through King.
  • Foundations are often separated by suit, which means each pile can only hold cards from one suit in order.
  • Winning usually means moving every card out of the tableau, stock, and waste and onto the foundations.

Tableau play

  • The tableau is the main play area where you organize cards and create space for future moves.
  • Klondike and Yukon build downward in alternating colours, while many other variants build by suit or ignore colour entirely.
  • Empty columns are often powerful because they give long sequences room to move or create new staging space.

Stock and waste

  • The stock is the draw pile that introduces new cards when you run out of strong tableau moves.
  • Cards drawn from the stock usually move to the waste before they can be played elsewhere.
  • Some variants have unlimited passes, some have a fixed number of redeals, and others remove the stock entirely.

Common rule differences between variants

Klondike, Yukon, and Easthaven all feel related, but they handle hidden cards, stock access, and movement freedom differently. FreeCell removes hidden information, Spider focuses on same-suit sequence cleanup, and Pyramid shifts the puzzle toward value matching instead of foundation building.

The fastest way to improve across variants is to first identify what kind of game you are playing: builder, pairing/removal, or two-deck patience.