Thirteen piles sit like the hours on a clock, with the Kings in the middle. Turn a card, tuck it under its hour, then turn the next card there. Get every card face up before the fourth King appears.
How to Play Clock Solitaire
Clock Solitaire is the gentlest game on the table. The cards are dealt into thirteen piles laid out like the face of a clock, and you turn them one at a time, sending each card to its own hour. There are no choices to make, so it is a game of pure luck: relaxing, quick, and over in two or three minutes.
The Objective
Turn every card face up before the fourth King appears. If all 52 cards are face up when the last King turns, you win.
The Setup
One standard deck is shuffled and dealt face down into thirteen piles of four cards. Twelve piles stand around the edge like the hours of a clock, and the thirteenth sits in the middle. Each pile belongs to one rank:
| Pile | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1 o'clock | Aces |
| 2 to 10 o'clock | 2s to 10s |
| 11 o'clock | Jacks |
| 12 o'clock | Queens |
| The middle | Kings |
The Rules
- Start in the middle. Turn the top card of the King pile face up.
- Send it to its hour. The card goes face up under the pile of its own rank: a 7 under 7 o'clock, a Jack under 11 o'clock, a King back under the middle.
- Carry on from there. Turn the top face-down card of the pile you just added to, and send that card to its hour too.
- The game ends with the fourth King. Each King sends you back to the middle, and when the fourth one turns up there is nothing left to turn in the middle pile.
If every card is face up by then, all four cards of each rank are sitting at their own hour and you have won. If some cards are still face down, the clock has stopped early.
How Often Can You Win?
Exactly one deal in thirteen comes out, about 7.7 percent, as mathematicians have shown. So don't be discouraged by a run of losses. A win is a small occasion.
Clock Solitaire Tips
- Enjoy the rhythm. With no decisions to make, Clock is a game for unwinding. Tap the outlined card, watch where it goes, and tap again.
- Let it play itself. Press Auto-finish and the game turns the remaining cards for you, one after another, so you can watch the clock fill up.
- Watch the Kings. The suspense of Clock is in the middle pile. Each King that turns up brings the end closer, and the fourth one decides the game.
- Count the hours. Face-up cards peek out above each pile, so you can see at a glance which hours are complete. An hour is done when all four of its cards are showing.
- Use it as a warm-up. A round of Clock is a pleasant way to settle in before a game that needs more thought, such as FreeCell or Klondike.
Playing Clock Solitaire on Solitaire Parlor
- The card to turn next has a gold outline. Tap or click it, and it flies to its hour.
- Auto-finish plays the rest of the game for you.
- Hint shows the next card and where it will go.
- Restart replays the same deal, New Game deals a new numbered deal, and Daily Deal gives everyone the same deal each day.
- Stats shows games played and won, win rate, best time, your win streaks and the badges you have earned.
- Settings changes the table color and card backs, turns on four-color suits, switches sounds on or off, and can start a numbered deal.
Your game and stats save automatically in your own browser. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.
About Clock Solitaire
Clock is one of the oldest and simplest patience games, and it goes by several other names, including Clock Patience, Travellers, Sundial and Hidden Cards. Because it needs no skill, it has long been a favorite for idle moments and for children learning their way around a deck of cards. Some players treat a round as a little test of luck before the day begins.
If you enjoy short games, try Aces Up or Golf Solitaire next. They are just as quick, but they give you decisions to make.
Clock Solitaire FAQ
Is Clock Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Play it in your web browser with a mouse or touchscreen. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.
Is there any skill in Clock Solitaire?
No. Every move is decided by the cards, so the result is settled the moment the deck is shuffled. That is what makes it restful.
Why did the game end with cards still face down?
The fourth King turned up before the other cards were reached. The middle pile then has nothing left to turn, so the game stops. This happens in twelve deals out of thirteen.
Does Undo change anything?
Undo takes back a turn, but the cards are fixed, so turning again gives the same result. To try your luck again, press New Game.