How to play Spider solitaire
Spider is played with two full decks, 104 cards in all. Fifty-four cards are dealt into ten columns (the first four get six cards, the other six get five) and only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining fifty cards stay in the stock in the top-right corner and are dealt later, ten at a time.
The goal is to build eight complete runs from King down to Ace in a single suit. As soon as a full K-to-A run of one suit is formed in a column it is cleared from the table automatically. Clear all eight and you win.
- Any card can be placed on a card one rank higher, whatever its suit: a 6 can go on any 7.
- You can only move several cards together if they form a run in the same suit.
- Any card or same-suit run can be moved into an empty column.
- Tap the stock to deal one new card onto every column. You can only deal when no column is empty.
1 suit, 2 suits or 4 suits?
1 suit uses only spades, so every run is movable and most games can be won: perfect for learning. 2 suits mixes spades and hearts and needs real planning. 4 suits is the classic expert game; many deals are lost even by strong players, and undo becomes your best friend. Wins and best score are saved separately for each level.
Strategy tips
Empty columns are the most valuable thing in Spider, because they let you reorganise long runs; try to create one early and avoid filling it with a single low card. Whenever you have a choice, build in the same suit, since mixed-suit stacks cannot be moved together later. Turn over face-down cards in the shortest columns first. Before you deal a new row, make every useful move you can, because the new cards cover your columns. Kings are hard to place, so only move a King into an empty column if it unlocks something.
Scoring
You start with 500 points. Each move or deal costs one point and every completed King-to-Ace run gives 100 points, so a fast, clean game scores more. Undo is unlimited but also costs a point.
About the game
Spider is one of the most popular two-deck patience games and became widely known after it was included with Microsoft Windows in the late 1990s. This browser version runs locally on your device without any downloads or accounts.
FAQ
Is Spider solitaire free here?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up, no download and no ads in the game.
Which level should I start with?
Start with 1 suit. Once you win regularly, try 2 suits, and 4 suits when you want a real challenge.
Why can't I deal new cards?
In Spider you may only deal when every column has at least one card. Move a card into each empty column first.
Does it work on a phone and offline?
Yes. Tap or drag cards on Android or iPhone. After your first visit the page works without internet.
Where is my progress saved?
Wins and best scores are kept only in your browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded.