FreeCell deals all 52 cards face up, so the puzzle is not about discovering hidden cards. It is about preserving enough temporary space to rearrange the tableau. Build tableau sequences downward in alternating colors, move cards to four temporary free cells when necessary, and build four suit foundations from ace through king.
This guide uses the conventional eight-column layout described by MobilityWare’s FreeCell help, together with the one-card-at-a-time capacity model documented in the KPatience handbook. Some apps move a legal sequence automatically or implement a different convenience rule, so use the help screen for the version you are actually playing when its behavior differs.
FreeCell rules at a glance
| Item | Rule used in this guide |
|---|---|
| Cards | One standard 52-card pack |
| Tableau | Eight face-up columns: four columns of seven cards and four of six |
| Free cells | Four spaces that can each hold one card |
| Foundations | Four piles built by suit from ace through king |
| Tableau build | Down by one rank in alternating colors |
| Empty column | May receive any available card or a sequence that can be reconstructed legally |
| Win | Move all 52 cards to the four foundations |
How to set up FreeCell
- Shuffle one 52-card pack and deal every card face up into eight columns.
- Deal seven cards to each of the first four columns and six to each of the remaining four.
- Leave four free cells and four foundation positions empty above the tableau.
The count checks the layout: four columns of seven contain 28 cards, and four columns of six contain 24. Together, 28 + 24 accounts for the full 52-card pack.
The legal single-card moves
- Tableau to tableau: place an exposed card on the next-higher rank of the opposite color. A red nine can go on a black ten.
- Tableau or free cell to foundation: add the next card of the same suit, starting with the ace.
- Tableau to free cell: place one exposed card in an empty cell. Each cell holds only one card.
- Into an empty tableau column: move any exposed card there under the rules used here.
The Mattel FreeCell manual describes the same core moves: cards go to free cells, to same-suit foundations in ascending order, or onto the next-higher opposite-color tableau card.
How many cards can move together?
Physical FreeCell is fundamentally a one-card-at-a-time game. A software button may appear to move a sequence in one action, but that action is legal only when the cards could be staged through the available free cells and empty columns. The KPatience handbook expresses the common capacity as:
Maximum movable cards = (empty free cells + 1) times 2 raised to the number of usable empty tableau columns.
| Empty free cells | Usable empty columns | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 card |
| 1 | 0 | 2 cards |
| 2 | 0 | 3 cards |
| 2 | 1 | 6 cards |
| 3 | 1 | 8 cards |
| 2 | 2 | 12 cards |
The table assumes the empty columns can be used as temporary staging spaces and are not the final destination being counted. Some implementations calculate this differently, especially when empty columns are restricted, so the formula is a rule-model check rather than a promise about every app.
Worked four-card transfer
Suppose one column ends with red 9, black 8, red 7, black 6, with the black 6 exposed. You want the full sequence to land on a black 10. Two free cells and one other empty tableau column are available.
- Move the black 6 to free cell 1.
- Move the red 7 to free cell 2.
- Move the black 8 to the empty tableau column.
- Move the red 9 onto the black 10.
- Move the black 8 from the temporary column onto the red 9.
- Move the red 7 from free cell 2 onto the black 8.
- Move the black 6 from free cell 1 onto the red 7.
The four-card move is legal because it can be reconstructed as seven legal single-card moves. The capacity formula also confirms it: (2 + 1) times 2 equals 6, which is at least four. This is a hypothetical rules example, not a recorded deal or a claim that the move is strategically best.
A practical decision order
- Locate low cards and aces. A buried ace can delay an entire foundation.
- Protect empty free cells. Every occupied cell reduces the length of sequences you can reconstruct.
- Value empty columns even more. Under the cited model, each usable empty column doubles the sequence capacity.
- Check both colors. Moving one red nine may block the only useful destination for another red nine.
- Do not auto-send blindly. A foundation move can remove a card that you still need as a temporary tableau landing point.
If you are new to foundation-building terminology, start with the site’s Klondike rules and worked example. For a two-deck game where movable units depend on suit rather than free-space capacity, compare the Spider Solitaire guide.
Common FreeCell rule mistakes
- Building by suit in the tableau: the standard tableau build alternates color; suit matters on the foundations.
- Treating a free cell as a stack: each free cell holds one card.
- Ignoring move capacity: a correctly ordered sequence can still be too long for the available temporary space.
- Counting the destination as a temporary empty column: the formula table assumes the empty columns counted are available for staging.
- Assuming every app has identical automation: verify how your version handles grouped moves and foundation auto-play.
Editorial note: This independent guide is based on the cited rules and a transparent hypothetical example. No first-hand play test or universal software behavior is claimed. It is not affiliated with Google, Microsoft, Mattel, KDE, MobilityWare, or a game platform. Corrections can be sent to blog@solitairegoogle.com.
Where to play FreeCell online
This site explains FreeCell but does not host a game. These public external pages were checked on August 13, 2026; a complete cross-device play test was not performed.