Game Rules
KlondikeThe world's most famous solitaire

The most famous solitaire classic with a tableau, draw pile, and ordered building by suit.

Players1
Duration8 – 15 min
Deck52 Cards · 1 Deck
LevelEasy to medium
I · Game Idea

Alone against
the deck

I

Klondike is THE solitaire – the game everyone understands as "Solitaire." Seven tableau columns with cards built in descending order, four foundation piles sorted by suit.

The goal is to move all 52 cards, in ascending order by suit (Ace to King), to the four foundation piles.

II · Preparation

Before the
game begins

II
1
Set up the Tableau
7 columns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 cards – only the top card of each column is face up.
2
Prepare Foundation Piles
4 empty spaces for the sorted suit piles (Ace to King).
3
Draw Pile
Remaining cards face down as the draw pile.
Before Starting

Turn over face-down tableau cards as early as possible – they often hold the key to further moves.

III · Card Values
How to move
cards
III
↓
Tableau
Descending, alternating
Cards in the tableau are placed in descending order and alternating colors (red/black).
↑
Foundation
Ascending, same suit
On the foundation piles, cards are collected in ascending order from Ace to King of the same suit.
D
Draw
From the pile
Turn over cards from the draw pile if no more moves are possible in the tableau.
K
King
To empty space
Only a King may be moved to a completely empty tableau column.
IV · Gameplay

Move by
move

IV
1
Check Tableau
Look for possible moves between the 7 columns – descending, alternating colors.
2
Move to Foundation Piles
Move matching Aces and subsequent cards to the foundation piles.
3
Draw
No more tableau moves possible: turn over card(s) from the draw pile.
4
Reveal face-down cards
If the top card of a tableau column is removed: reveal the card underneath.
5
Win
All 52 cards are sorted on the four foundation piles. The game is not always solvable – some initial distributions lead to a dead end.
V · Variants
Variants
V

Klondike is the basis for countless solitaire variants.

1
Draw 1
Standard rule: turn over one card at a time from the draw pile.
3
Draw 3
More difficult variant: turn over three cards at once, only the top one is usable.
∅
No Limit
The draw pile can be gone through any number of times.
V
Vegas Klondike
With point scoring and only limited passes through the pile.
VI · Tips & Tricks

What really
matters

VI
Strategy Tips
+

Reveal face-down tableau cards as early as possible – they often open up new move possibilities and should be prioritized.

+

Don't move cards to the foundation piles too early if you might still need them in the tableau to sort other cards.

+

Try to empty a tableau column completely – an empty space for a King offers significantly more flexibility.

+

In Draw-3 variants, plan more carefully – not every card revealed is immediately usable.

Common Mistakes
–

Immediately moving Aces to the foundation piles without considering that they might have been useful in the tableau.

–

Revealing face-down cards too late, even though an obvious move would have exposed them.

–

Going through the draw pile completely too early, without first exhausting all tableau possibilities.

–

Forgetting that not every game is solvable – sometimes a dead end is not due to a bad decision, but the card distribution.

Berlin Hold'em · Matching Decks
Get the right deck

Klondike is the timeless solitaire classic – even more relaxing with a tactile deck.

View all designs →
20s Playing Cards – Twin Pack For larger groups and long game nights. To the product Viking Playing Cards – Twin Pack Two decks, suitable for 5+ players. To the product
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