Most people think of solitaire as a single game, but it is really a whole family of card games with dozens of members. Four variants stand out as the ones nearly everyone plays: Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, and Yukon. They share the same deck and the same broad goal, yet each one feels completely different once you sit down to play. Understanding how the main types of solitaire compare helps you pick the game that matches your mood, whether you want a quick relaxing round or a demanding puzzle.
This article lines up the four most popular variants side by side. We will look at how each is set up, what makes it unique, and how difficult it is, so you can choose with confidence. If you are brand new to the genre, it helps to first read how to play solitaire, then come back here to explore the wider family.
What All Solitaire Games Share
Before the differences, it is worth naming the common thread. Nearly every solitaire variant uses a standard deck, asks you to build ordered sequences, and centers on foundation piles built up by suit from Ace to King. They all reward planning ahead and uncovering hidden cards. Where they diverge is in the number of decks, how many cards start face up, whether there is a stock to draw from, and the rules for moving cards between columns. Those four differences account for almost everything that makes each game feel distinct. Keep them in mind as you read, and you will quickly see that learning one variant gives you a big head start on all the others, because the underlying grammar of the game never really changes. What changes is the balance between luck and skill, and how much freedom you have to rearrange the board.
Klondike: The Classic
Klondike is the version most people mean by the word solitaire. It uses one deck dealt into seven tableau columns, with only the top card of each column face up and the rest hidden. A stock pile lets you draw extra cards when you run out of moves, either one or three at a time.
How It Plays
You build down the tableau in alternating colors and up the foundations by suit. The hidden cards and the limited stock draws introduce an element of luck, which is part of Klondike's charm and its frustration. Not every deal is winnable, but a good share are with careful play. That blend of chance and decision is exactly why Klondike has stayed popular for well over a century: no two games feel the same, and even a losing deal can be a close, absorbing fight. It is easy to learn in a few minutes yet deep enough to keep coming back to. Try it any time on the Klondike table.
FreeCell: The Thinker's Game
FreeCell is the variant for players who like a puzzle they can actually solve. Every one of the 52 cards is dealt face up into eight columns from the very start, so there is nothing hidden and nothing to draw. The twist is four open cells in the corner, each of which can hold a single card as temporary storage.
How It Plays
Because all cards are visible, FreeCell is a game of pure planning. You build down in alternating colors like Klondike, but you use the four free cells to park cards while you rearrange the board. Almost every FreeCell deal is winnable, which makes a loss feel like a puzzle you failed to crack rather than bad luck. Players who enjoy chess, sudoku, or logic puzzles often gravitate to FreeCell for exactly this reason: it is a contest against the layout and your own foresight rather than against the shuffle. Open a game of FreeCell when you want to think, and read the full FreeCell rules to master it.
Spider: The Two-Deck Marathon
Spider is the most demanding of the four and the most different. It uses two full decks, 104 cards in all, dealt into ten columns. Instead of four foundations you complete eight, each a full run of a single suit from King down to Ace, which is removed from the board once finished.
How It Plays
In the tableau you build downward regardless of color, but you can only move a group of cards together if they form an ordered run of the same suit. A stock deals ten new cards at once, one onto every column, so you can never have an empty column when you draw. Spider comes in one-suit, two-suit, and four-suit versions of rising difficulty, letting you scale the challenge. Deal a game on the Spider table and see the Spider solitaire rules for the details.
Yukon: All Cards Face Up
Yukon looks like Klondike at first glance but plays very differently. It uses one deck and seven columns, but almost every card is dealt face up, and there is no stock to draw from at all. Everything you will ever have is on the table from the first move.
How It Plays
The signature Yukon rule is that you can move any face-up card along with every card on top of it, even if those cards are not in order, onto a card one rank higher and the opposite color. That freedom to shift messy groups makes Yukon a rich puzzle with no luck of the draw once the deal is set. Try it on the Yukon table and learn the specifics in the Yukon solitaire rules.
The Four Variants Side by Side
Here is how the games compare across the features that matter most when you are choosing one:
- Decks used: Klondike, FreeCell, and Yukon use one deck; Spider uses two.
- Hidden cards: Klondike and Spider hide most cards; FreeCell and Yukon deal everything face up.
- Stock to draw from: Klondike and Spider have one; FreeCell and Yukon do not.
- Moving groups: Klondike and FreeCell need ordered alternating-color runs; Spider needs same-suit runs; Yukon lets you move any group.
- Luck vs skill: Klondike leans on luck, FreeCell is almost pure skill, and Spider and Yukon sit in between.
Which Type Should You Play?
The right variant depends on what you want from a session. Use this quick guide to decide:
- Want the familiar classic? Play Klondike, the game everyone knows.
- Want a puzzle you can almost always solve? Play FreeCell, where planning beats luck.
- Want a long, demanding challenge? Play Spider, especially the two or four-suit versions.
- Want no luck and total information? Play Yukon, with every card face up.
- Just starting out? Begin with Klondike, then branch out from there.
There is no single best variant; the fun is in trying each and finding your favorite. Many players keep two or three in rotation for different moods.
Conclusion
The main types of solitaire share a deck and a goal but diverge in decks used, hidden cards, stock draws, and how cards move. Klondike is the classic, FreeCell is the thinker's game, Spider is the two-deck marathon, and Yukon lays every card bare. The best way to understand them is to play them. Start with a game of Klondike solitaire, then sample the rest, and browse every variant on the free-solitaire.co homepage to build your own rotation of favorites.