Spider Solitaire

How to play Spider Solitaire

Spider Solitaire is the grandest and most rewarding member of the solitaire family, played with two full decks — 104 cards in all. Ten columns of cards face you, and your task is to tidy them into eight complete sequences that each run from King all the way down to Ace in a single suit. Unlike Klondike there is no separate foundation to build up: everything happens right there in the tableau, and a finished King-to-Ace run simply lifts away on its own. The game is famous for its depth — a patient, thoughtful player wins far more often than a hasty one — and for its adjustable difficulty, which lets you choose how many suits are shuffled into the pack. This version gives you a move counter, a timer, unlimited undo and a ranked score, so you can chase a clean, fast win.

The goal

Clear the table. You win the moment all eight King-to-Ace sequences have been assembled in the columns and swept away to the foundation. Every sequence must be a single suit — thirteen cards from King down to Ace — and there are exactly eight of them hidden inside the two decks. Fewer moves and less time earn a higher score, so efficiency matters as much as victory.

The deal and the board

The deal lays out 54 cards across ten columns: the first four columns receive six cards each and the remaining six columns receive five, for a total of fifty-four. Only the bottom card of each column — the one nearest you — is turned face up; everything above it starts face down and is revealed as you clear the cards on top. The other fifty cards form the stock, waiting at the bottom of the screen in five rows of ten. The timer does not start until your first move, so you are free to study the opening for as long as you like.

How to move cards

• Build downward in rank. A card may be placed on any card exactly one rank higher, whatever the suit — a red 8 happily sits on a black 9. Only that single-card move ignores suit entirely.
• Move runs of the same suit together. Several cards lift as one block only when they already form a descending same-suit run — for example 10♠ 9♠ 8♠. Tap the highest card of the run you want, then tap the destination column.
• Any card, or any legal same-suit run, may be dropped onto an empty column. Empty columns are the most valuable real estate in the game, so spend them wisely.
• Whenever the top thirteen cards of a column form a complete King-to-Ace sequence in one suit, they are removed automatically to a foundation slot and the card beneath is turned face up. Collecting eight of these finished sequences wins the game.
• When you are stuck, tap the stock to deal a new row: one card face up onto every column at once. You may only deal when no column is empty — fill every gap first.

Choosing your difficulty (suit count)

The three levels change how many suits are shuffled into the same 104-card pack, and that single choice utterly transforms the game. Easy uses ONE suit: every card is a spade, so any descending sequence is automatically a same-suit run and moves freely — this is the friendliest way to learn and the fastest to win. Medium uses TWO suits, so you must watch colours and often split a mixed pile before it becomes a real sequence. Hard uses all FOUR suits — a genuine double deck — where assembling thirteen cards of a single suit demands real planning and a little luck. The pack is always 104 cards; only the number of suits changes, and each difficulty keeps its own leaderboard.

Winning and scoring

The game is won the instant the eighth King-to-Ace sequence leaves the table. A banner shows your move count, your time and your score, and that score is submitted automatically to the leaderboard for the suit count you played. Your best result on this device is remembered per difficulty, so Easy, Medium and Hard each have their own record to chase. Sign in and your best scores also climb the global rankings.

Strategy tips

• Build in suit whenever you have the choice. Placing a black 7 on a black 8 keeps a real sequence alive, while dropping it on a red 8 only makes a temporary parking spot you will have to unpick later. Same-suit stacking is what actually finishes sequences.
• Empty a column as early as you can and guard it. An empty column can hold any card, letting you shuffle awkward piles, dig out buried cards and rearrange runs into proper order. Try not to fill your last empty column unless it directly clears a sequence.
• Turn face-down cards face up before anything else. The buried cards are the real puzzle; every move that reveals a new one gives you fresh options, so prefer plays that flip a card over plays that merely tidy the surface.
• Deal from the stock only after you have squeezed out every useful move — once dealt, ten new cards land on top of your neat piles and can bury sequences you were building. Remember you cannot deal at all while a column stands empty, so plan the timing.
• Lean on Undo to explore. Because Spider rewards foresight, it is worth trying a line, seeing where it dead-ends and stepping back. Fewer moves and seconds mean a higher score, though, so once you know the plan, play it cleanly.

Frequently asked questions