Spider Solitaire

🕹️ How to play

1. Tap a card, then tap a column: In spider solitaire a card goes on a card one rank higher (a 7 on an 8) in any suit, and an empty column takes anything. Tap a card to pick up its same-suit run, then tap the target column — the game works out how many cards fit there. Tap the same column again to auto-place, or drag if you prefer.
2. Deal from the stock when you run out of moves: The stock in the corner deals five times, one face-up card onto each of the ten columns; the badge shows how many deals are left. You can't deal while a column is empty — the stock dims and the empty column flashes. The one exception: with fewer than ten cards on the table you may deal.
3. Complete King-to-Ace runs: When the top 13 cards of a column run from King down to Ace in one suit, they fly to the completed slots for +100 points. Any face-down card underneath turns over. Clear all 8 runs to win.

📖 Rules & variants

Spider solitaire rules: two decks, 104 cards. 54 are dealt into ten columns (6 cards in the first four, 5 in the rest), with only the top card face up. The other 50 form the stock, enough for five deals. 1 suit uses spades only, 2 suits spades and hearts, 4 suits two sets of each suit.

Moving cards: any face-up card can go on a card exactly one rank higher, whatever its suit. Only a sequence of the same suit moves as a group — where suits mix, the run breaks. ♠8 ♠7 move together; in ♥9 ♠8 you must move the ♠8 first. Face-down cards turn over as soon as they're uncovered.

Dealing and empty columns: the classic rule says you can't deal while any column is empty. This version allows a deal when fewer than ten cards are left on the table, so clearing runs can never lock you out. An empty column accepts any card or same-suit sequence, which makes it the most flexible space on the table.

Scoring: you start with 500, every move or deal costs 1, every undo costs 1, and each completed run adds 100. Hints are free. Undo and hints are unlimited here; a win without a single undo is recorded separately.

Spider solitaire tips: prefer moves that turn over face-down cards; build in the same suit whenever you have the choice; treat an empty column as your best resource rather than filling it at once; tidy up before dealing, because a deal covers every column; in 4-suit games focus on one or two suits first.

When you're stuck: once the stock is used up and no move is left, three options appear above the table — undo one, restart the deal, or start a new game. It only means there is no move right now; undoing a few moves often opens another line.

How a tap decides which cards move

In spider solitaire a same-suit sequence moves as a group, but you never have to hit the exact buried card: tap anywhere in the run, then tap the target column, and the game cuts the run at the card that fits on that column's top card. Dragging follows the same rule.

Looking for classic seven-column solitaire with alternating colours and A–K foundations? PlayKlondike Solitaire — its moving and dealing rules are completely different.

❓ FAQ