Rules

FreeCell is a solitaire card game played using the standard 52-card deck.

There are four open cells and four open foundations. Cards are dealt face-up into eight cascades, four of which comprise seven cards each and four of which comprise six cards each.

The top card of each cascade begins a sequence. Tableaus must be built down by alternating colors. Foundations are built up by suit. The foundations begin with Ace and are built up to King.

Any cell card or top card of any cascade may be moved to build on a tableau, or moved to an empty cell, an empty cascade, or its foundation.

The game is won after all cards are moved to their foundation piles.

Supermoves

In FreeCell only one card may be moved at a time. Complete or partial tableaus may be moved to build on existing tableaus, or moved to empty cascades, only by a sequence of moves which recursively place and remove cards through intermediate locations.

For example, with one empty cell, the top card of one tableau can be moved to a free cell. The second card from the top of that tableau can now be moved onto another tableau. Then the original top card can be moved from the cell on top of it.

Such a sequence of moves is called a “supermove”. The game allows you to move a group of cards if there are enough free cells or empty tableau spaces.

Menu

You can control the game through the menu with the following commands:

• New Game - reshuffle the decks and start a new play.
• Hint - provide an on-screen hint for all valid moves. The cards that can be moved are outlined in green, the locations where they can be moved to - in yellow. If a card can be moved and another card can be moved on it, it will be outlined in orange.
• Explain - show and explain all possible moves.
• Undo - undo, one at a time, your moves.
• Settings - configure different options the way you like it.
• Scoreboard - we record the number of times you have this solitaire converged. You can get to the Game Center Leaderboard to compare you score to other players.
• How To Play - see the documentation.
• About - brief information about this app, including the links to our website and our Facebook page.

Settings

You can configure different options the way you like it:

• Foundations on left - show foundations on the left side of the screen.
• Sort foundations by suit - sorts where the Aces go in the foundation.
• Sort order - select the order of suits in foundation.
• Show errors - show an error message if you attempt an invalid move.
• Use large cards - use large print cards, for the smaller screens.
• Autocomplete - move all cards to the foundation when solution is obvious.
• Fast animation - move the cards faster.  

Gestures

You can control the game with the following gestures:

• Tap a card in the tableau, in a free cell or on top of the wastepile to send it to the appropriate place in the foundation or another pile in the tableau if there is a valid move.
• Drag a card (or a group of cards) to where you want to move it to.
• Swipe left - undo your previous move.
• Swipe right - show Hint.
• Swipe down - show and explain all possible moves.
• Swipe up - bring up the Settings view.