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Download on Google Play- Deal 7 tableau columns: 1 card in first, 2 in second, up to 7 in the seventh.
- Top card of each column face-up, rest face-down.
- Remaining 24 cards form the stock pile.
- Move face-up cards between columns in descending rank, alternating colors.
- Build foundations up by suit from Ace to King.
- Draw 1 or 3 cards from the stock to the waste pile.
- Turn over face-down cards when uncovered.
- Win by completing all four foundation piles.
- Win rate is about 80% (draw-1) or 33% (draw-3) with perfect play.
Rules
Klondike is the world's most famous solitaire game — when people say 'Solitaire,' they almost always mean Klondike. Players build foundation piles from Ace to King while managing a cascading tableau of face-up and face-down cards.
Objective
Move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, each built from Ace to King in a single suit.
Setup
- Players: 1 player.
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck.
- Tableau: 7 columns — column 1 has 1 card, column 2 has 2, etc. up to column 7 with 7 cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up.
- Stock: Remaining 24 cards form the draw pile.
- Foundations: Four empty piles, one for each suit.
Gameplay
- Tableau Building: Build columns in descending order, alternating red and black. Move single cards or properly sequenced groups.
- Revealing Cards: When a face-down card is uncovered, turn it face-up.
- Stock Drawing: Draw 1 or 3 cards (depending on variant) from the stock to the waste pile. The top waste card is playable.
- Foundations: Play Aces to foundations, then build up by suit through King.
- Empty Columns: Only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can fill an empty tableau column.
Winning
Win when all four foundations are built from Ace to King. Not all deals are solvable — estimated win rate is about 80% with perfect play (draw-1) or 33% (draw-3).
Tips and Strategies
- Always play Aces and Twos to foundations immediately.
- Prefer revealing face-down cards over moving cards from the stock.
- Avoid filling empty columns unless you have a King ready to place.
- Think carefully before moving cards to foundations — they may be needed for tableau building.
Tips & Strategy
Focus on uncovering face-down cards in the longest columns first. Every revealed card is a new opportunity.
The hardest decisions involve whether to play a card to a foundation or keep it in the tableau. A red 3 on a foundation cannot help you move a black 4.
Trivia & Fun Facts
Microsoft Solitaire (Klondike) was included in Windows 3.0 in 1990 partly to help users learn mouse drag-and-drop. It became the most-played computer game ever.
In Klondike, what is the only rank that can be placed in an empty tableau column?
History & Culture
Klondike takes its name from the Klondike region of Canada, likely popularized during the Gold Rush era of the 1890s.
Klondike Solitaire is arguably the most-played card game in history, thanks to its inclusion in virtually every computer operating system since 1990.
Variations & House Rules
Draw-1 flips one stock card at a time (easier). Draw-3 flips three (harder). Vegas scoring assigns dollar values to each card played to foundations.
Play draw-1 for a more solvable experience. For an extra challenge, try limited passes through the stock (1 or 2 passes only).
