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FreeCell

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Where this table comes from

Material · Occasion · Pace

A late-century desk classic: every card face up, skill over luck, free cells as working hands.

  • Material

    One deck dealt into eight open cascades, four free cells, and four foundations.

  • Occasion

    Focused solo sittings when you want every card visible from the start.

  • Pace

    Deliberate cascade planning; empty cells multiply what you can move.

FreeCell made open information the point. The free cells are not shortcuts so much as temporary hands that keep a thoughtful layout alive.

From real sittings

Sitting notes

Short experiential essays tied to this game — written in this language only.

All notes in this language
No sitting notes here yet. Finish a real game at this table — when the sitting is long enough, a short essay can stay behind for others to find.

How to play

FreeCell Strategy: Cascades, Free Cells, and Supermoves

Tap to read the full guide

Rules quick reference

FreeCell deals one deck into eight cascades, all face up: four columns of seven and four of six. Four free cells hold at most one card each. Four foundations build ace through king by suit. Tableau builds descend in rank and alternate colour.

ActionStandard ruleWhy it matters
Build on tableauDescending, alternating coloursSame idea as Klondike, but every card starts visible
Empty columnAccepts any legal single card or cascadeEmpty space multiplies mobility
Free cellHolds one cardA working hand, not permanent storage
Cascade moveLimited by empty free cells and empty columnsLong runs need open helpers
FoundationAce first, same suit upFilling all four wins

Because the whole layout is open, FreeCell rewards planning over memory. Single cards always move to a free cell, a legal tableau destination, or their foundation when ready.

Working with free cells

Treat free cells as helpers for uncovering a buried connector, not as parking lots. Before parking, name the follow-up: which card becomes free, and where the parked card goes next. Two empty free cells plus an empty column unlock large cascade transfers; spending them casually freezes the board.

Build foundations when doing so reduces clutter without removing a rank you still need as a landing place. Sometimes leaving a two on the tableau is wiser than rushing it home.

Common mistakes

Parking without an exit. A full set of free cells with no empty column leaves you moving only one card at a time.

Moving a long cascade just because it is legal. Legality is not usefulness. Prefer cascades that expose a key card or create an empty column.

Ignoring suit foundations early. Getting aces and twos home often frees cascade bottoms that nothing else can reach.

Forcing every build. An off-colour link that blocks a longer plan should wait.

Frequently asked questions

What can go in an empty FreeCell column?
Any single card or legal cascade that the supermove limit allows. Unlike Klondike, it does not have to be a king.
How many cards can I move as a cascade?
At most (empty free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns). If the destination column is empty, use one fewer empty column in the exponent. This is the standard FreeCell supermove rule.
Should I always fill free cells?
No. Free cells are temporary hands. Parking without a plan to empty them again shrinks how many cards you can move later.
Are all FreeCell deals solvable?
Almost all Microsoft-numbered deals are solvable with perfect play, but some positions still require careful ordering. A stuck layout usually means a cascade was moved too early.