What is Skill-Based Solitaire?

Skill-based solitaire is a unique take on the classic game where multiple players compete using the same deck of cards. Everyone gets the same card sequence, so it's all about strategy and skill rather than luck. Players race against the clock to make the best moves and submit their score before the time runs out, adding a fair and exciting twist to the competition! The winner is the player with the highest score.

How to play

Overview

Like classic solitaire, your goal is to organize a shuffled deck into four ascending piles. Flip over the cards and make strategic moves to clear the table and get the highest score possible before time runs out.

Table setup

You’ll start with a standard 52-card deck. The deck is shuffled and dealt into seven columns: the first column has one card, the second has two, and so on. The top card in each column is face-up, while the others are face-down. These seven piles are called the “tableau.”

The draw pile is on the top right, holding the remaining cards. The top left is reserved for your four ace piles, one for each suit.

Note: all players in a competition receive the same deck!

Build ace piles

When you uncover an ace, place it in one of the ace piles. Continue adding cards of the same suit in ascending order. For example, after placing the ace of hearts, you can add the 2 of hearts, then the 3, and so on, up to the king.

Move cards

To fill all ace piles, sort the cards in the tableau and draw pile. You can move a card onto another in the tableau if it's one rank lower and of a different color. For example, a red 5 can only go on a black 6. You can also move stacked cards in groups. For instance, stack a black 7 on a red 8, then move that stack onto a black 9.

When you move a card in the tableau, you might uncover a face-down card, which will then be flipped face-up for use.

Use the draw pile

If you can't make any moves in the tableau, use the draw pile to get one new card. If you can use a card from the draw pile, drag it or tap it to the tableau or ace piles. You can keep turning over cards from the draw pile until you find a usable one.

Create empty tableau slots

Clearing tableau slots as you play allows you to uncover face-down cards and create space for moving cards around. Only kings or stacks starting with kings can be placed in empty tableau slots.

Game start

The game begins when you tap the play button. Your timer will start counting down and you have 6 minutes to complete your turn.