A visual guide to solitaire families
18 Types of Solitaire Games — and How to Choose One
Solitaire is a whole family of card games. Start with the kind of thinking you enjoy, then open any game here and play it free.
Choose by how you want the game to feel
You do not need to memorize eighteen names. Pick the experience you want today.
Familiar and calm
The classic game
Build down in alternating colors and turn over hidden cards. Play classic Solitaire Draw 1 ›
Everything visible
A pure logic puzzle
Plan several moves ahead without guessing what is underneath. Try FreeCell ›
Short and lively
A quick clearing game
Make a chain, clear the board, and finish in a few minutes. Play TriPeaks Solitaire ›
Patient and demanding
A serious challenge
Control suits across a wide table where one untidy move can matter. Play Spider Solitaire 4 Suits ›Want the evidence instead of a mood? See every game ranked by difficulty.
Five solitaire families at a glance
Games in the same family share a rhythm, even when their layouts look different.
Reveal, build, finish
Classic builders
Move descending runs on the tableau, uncover hidden cards, and build four foundations from Ace to King.
Choose this if: Best first choice if “solitaire” means the familiar seven-column game to you.
Start with Solitaire Draw 1 ›Create clean King-to-Ace runs
Spider and suit builders
The tableau is the puzzle. Same-suit order matters, and completed runs leave the table.
Choose this if: Best when you enjoy sorting a crowded board into long, exact sequences.
Spot a chain and keep it moving
13 Quick clearing games
Instead of building foundations, remove cards by rank: one higher, one lower, or paired to total 13.
Choose this if: Best for a shorter game with visible progress and simple move rules.
Start with TriPeaks Solitaire ›Plan with more information
Open and skill-led games
Free cells, flexible group moves, or a fully dealt tableau turn the game into a planning exercise.
Choose this if: Best when you would rather solve a position than wait for a lucky stock card.
Start with FreeCell ›Manage reserves, redeals, or two decks
Wide-table challenges
Extra cards create a longer game, while strict movement rules make every open space valuable.
Choose this if: Best for experienced players who want a game to last and decisions to carry weight.
Start with Canfield Solitaire ›Every type of solitaire you can play here
All eighteen games below open on their own full board. No download, account, or payment is required.
Reveal, build, finish
Classic builders
♥ Solitaire Draw 1
The familiar seven-column game, drawing one stock card at a time.
Solitaire Draw 3
Classic solitaire with three-card stock packets and tighter access.
Create clean King-to-Ace runs
Spider and suit builders
♠ Spider Solitaire — 1 Suit
Learn Spider’s ten-column rhythm with every card treated as one suit.
Spider Solitaire — 2 Suits
Choose verified Easy, Medium or Hard deals, or keep unfiltered Random play.
Spider Solitaire — 4 Suits
The full Spider ruleset: four suits and very little room for disorder.
♠ Scorpion Solitaire
Build four in-suit runs directly on the tableau with only three reserve cards.
♠ Wasp Solitaire
Scorpion’s close cousin, made more forgiving by flexible empty columns.
Spot a chain and keep it moving
Quick clearing games
Golf Solitaire
Remove exposed cards one rank above or below the waste card.
TriPeaks Solitaire
Clear three peaks by keeping an up-or-down rank chain alive.
♦ Pyramid Solitaire
Pair uncovered cards that total 13 until the pyramid is gone.
Plan with more information
Open and skill-led games
FreeCell
Every card is visible; four free cells make planning and space management the game.
Eight Off Solitaire
FreeCell’s older relative: eight cells, same-suit builds, and generous workspace.
♣ Yukon Solitaire
No stock: move any face-up group while working through a fully dealt tableau.
♣ Russian Solitaire
Yukon movement with strict same-suit building and very narrow recovery paths.
♣ Alaska Solitaire
Build in suit either up or down, creating unusual two-direction decisions.
Manage reserves, redeals, or two decks
Wide-table challenges
Forty Thieves Solitaire
Two decks, single-card moves, and one pass through the stock.
Crescent Solitaire
Sixteen tableau piles feed foundations building both up and down by suit.
Canfield Solitaire
A reserve pile and a changing foundation rank create constant pressure.
One deck or two? The table changes completely
Deck count is the quickest way to predict the length and scale of a solitaire game.
One-deck games
Fifty-two cards make a tighter puzzle and usually a shorter session. Thirteen of the games here use one deck.
Two-deck games
One hundred and four cards create wider layouts, longer runs, and more decisions before the finish.
The same deck can create a very different puzzle
Most solitaire games become easy to recognize once you know what may sit on what.
Classic building
Down by rank, alternating colors
A red 6 may sit on a black 7. This is the familiar Solitaire and FreeCell pattern.
See it in Solitaire Draw 1 ›Suit building
Keep the whole run in one suit
Spider-family games reward clean same-suit sequences that can move or leave the table.
See it in Spider Solitaire ›Pair clearing
Remove cards instead of stacking them
Pyramid pairs ranks that total 13; the goal is an empty layout, not four foundations.
See it in Pyramid Solitaire ›Types of solitaire games FAQ
01What is the most common type of solitaire?
Solitaire Draw 1 is the familiar seven-column game most people mean when they say “solitaire.” It uses one deck, alternating-color tableau builds, and four foundations.
02Which type of solitaire is best for beginners?
Start with Solitaire Draw 1 for the classic rules, one-suit Spider for an easier sorting game, or TriPeaks for a short game with one simple move rule.
03Which solitaire games show every card?
FreeCell and Eight Off begin with every card face up. Crescent also deals its tableau openly, although its sixteen piles create a much larger planning problem.
04Which solitaire games use two decks?
The three Spider levels, Forty Thieves, and Crescent use two standard decks. Their 104 cards create wider layouts and generally longer games.
05Which solitaire game is the hardest?
Difficulty depends on the rules and the player, but four-suit Spider, Russian Solitaire, Scorpion, and Forty Thieves are among the most demanding choices here. Our separate difficulty ranking compares them with measured player results and solver evidence.