About Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is the two-deck patience game where you sort 104 cards into eight complete runs. It is played with ten columns instead of seven, and rather than building foundations card by card you assemble a full sequence from king down to ace in one suit inside the columns; the moment a run is complete it lifts off to the foundation. Clear all eight runs to win.
Pick your difficulty. With 1 suit every card is a spade, so any card can go on the next higher card and the game is gentle enough to win most of the time. With 2 suits (spades and hearts) you start having to keep runs tidy, and with 4 suits, the expert version, careful planning and plenty of undo are the only way through. Each setting keeps its own statistics, so you can track your win rate as you move up.
Drag a card or a run with your mouse or finger, or tap it and it moves to the best place automatically, preferring a card of the same suit. Undo is free and unlimited, so you can always step back and try a different line. Your game saves automatically in this browser, so you can close the tab and carry on later, and your statistics (games played, games won, best time and winning streak) are kept for each variant.
How to play Spider Solitaire
- Ten columns are dealt: the first four have six cards and the other six have five, with only the bottom card of each face up. The remaining 50 cards wait in the stock in the top-right corner.
- Any card can be placed on a card one rank higher, whatever its suit: a 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades.
- A group of cards can only be moved together if it is a run of the same suit in order, such as 9, 8, 7 of hearts.
- Any card or same-suit run can be moved into an empty column.
- When you move the last face-up card off a column, the card underneath turns face up.
- When you run out of moves, tap the stock to deal one new card onto every column. You can only deal while every column has at least one card.
- Build a complete run from king to ace in one suit and it is removed to the foundation automatically. Remove all eight runs to win.
Rules
There are five deals in the stock, ten cards each, and no redeals once the stock is empty.
Mixed-suit sequences are legal to build but cannot be moved as one unit, so they tend to block columns. Keep same-suit runs together whenever you can.
Hints suggest the most useful legal move, favouring moves that join cards of the same suit or turn over a hidden card. You get three free hints in every game and can watch an optional short ad for three more.
Scoring
You start with 500 points. Every move costs one point, and every completed king-to-ace run earns 100 points. The fewer moves you need, the higher your final score.
Tips
- Try to empty a column early. An empty column is the most powerful tool in Spider, because it lets you untangle mixed runs.
- When you have a choice, put a card on one of the same suit; a same-suit join can be moved later, a mixed one cannot.
- Uncover face-down cards before you deal from the stock, and fill gaps before you deal, because a deal covers every column.
- Kings can only move into an empty column, so avoid burying good cards under them.
- Use undo freely to explore. In 4-suit Spider, trying a few lines before committing is normal play.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spider Solitaire should I start with?
Start with 1 suit to learn how runs and deals work. It is the most forgiving version and most games can be won. Move up to 2 suits when you win comfortably, and to 4 suits for the real challenge.
Why can I not deal from the stock?
In Spider you can only deal while every column has at least one card. Move a card or a run into each empty column first, then deal.
Why will a group of cards not move together?
Only a run of the same suit in descending order can be moved as one. A mixed-suit sequence has to be taken apart one same-suit run at a time.
How many cards are used?
Two full decks, 104 cards. With 1 suit they are all spades, with 2 suits spades and hearts, and with 4 suits two of each card.
Is my game saved if I leave?
Yes. The game in progress and your statistics for each difficulty are saved in this browser automatically.
More solitaire games
- Klondike Solitaire: the classic seven-column game from Windows, with draw 1 or draw 3.
- FreeCell Solitaire: every card face up, four free cells and the classic numbered deals.