Two decks, ten columns, and one goal: build eight runs from King down to Ace. This table uses one suit, the gentlest way in.
How to Play Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is played with two full decks, 104 cards in all. Your goal is to build eight complete runs, each going from King down to Ace in a single suit.
The Layout
The cards are dealt into ten columns. The first four columns get six cards each and the other six get five, for 54 cards on the table. Only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock, which you deal out later in five rounds of ten.
Moving Cards
You can move the top card of any column onto another column whose top card is exactly one rank higher, whatever the suit. A 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades or an 8 of hearts. Aces are low, so nothing can be placed on an Ace.
Moving several cards at once is stricter. A group can move together only if it is a descending sequence in one suit, such as the 9, 8 and 7 of spades. If a column ends with the 9 of spades, 8 of hearts and 7 of hearts, you can move the two hearts together, but not all three cards. In the 1-suit game every card is a spade, so any descending sequence moves as one.
Whenever you uncover a face-down card, it turns face up automatically.
Empty Columns
If you clear a column completely, you can move any card or valid group into the space, not just a King. Empty columns are the most valuable thing in Spider, because they give you room to rearrange.
Dealing from the Stock
When you run out of useful moves, click or tap the stock. It deals one face-up card onto each of the ten columns, and you get five of these deals per game. You cannot deal while any column is empty, so fill every gap first, even if only with a single card. The one exception comes late in a game: if fewer than ten cards are left on the table, you can deal anyway, because there are not enough cards to fill every column.
Completing Runs
Whenever a column ends with a full run from King down to Ace in one suit, those 13 cards are removed to a foundation automatically. Complete all eight runs to win.
Spider Solitaire Difficulty Levels: 1, 2 or 4 Suits
Every level uses the same layout and rules; only the number of suits changes. The game on this page starts at 1 suit, and the 2 suits and 4 suits buttons next to the title switch levels.
| Difficulty | 1 suit (easiest) | 2 suits (medium) | 4 suits (hardest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits in play | Spades only | Spades and hearts | Spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs |
| Copies of each card | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Runs to complete | 8 in spades | 4 in spades, 4 in hearts | 2 in each suit |
| Stacks that move as a group | Any descending sequence | Same-suit sequences only | Same-suit sequences only |
| What to expect | Relaxed; most deals can be won | A real puzzle that rewards planning | Demanding; wins take patience and some luck |
1 Suit: Where to Start
Spider Solitaire 1 suit is the best place to learn. With every card a spade, you never worry about mixing suits; the game is about uncovering face-down cards and using empty columns well. Most 1-suit deals can be won with careful play.
2 Suits: The Next Step
Playing with two suits brings in hearts, and with them the problem of mixed stacks: a sequence that changes suit partway down cannot be moved in one piece. Our 2-suit Spider Solitaire guide covers the extra strategy this needs.
4 Suits: The Full Challenge
With only two copies of each card, long same-suit sequences are hard to build, and each deal from the stock can bury a lot of progress. Some deals may not be winnable at all. Our 4-suit Spider Solitaire guide explains how to approach it.
Spider Solitaire Strategy Tips
These tips apply at every level, and they matter more with each suit you add.
- Turn over face-down cards first. Every hidden card you reveal gives you new options. Given a choice of moves, pick the one that uncovers a card or gets you closer to it.
- Go after the shortest columns. A column with only one or two face-down cards left is the quickest to clear, and an empty column is worth more than almost any other move.
- Treat an empty column as a tool, not a parking space. Resist dropping the first loose card into it. Use the space to rearrange: shift a sequence out of the way, uncover a card, then try to clear the column again.
- Build in suit whenever you can. If a 6 of hearts could go on either a 7 of spades or a 7 of hearts, choose the heart. Same-suit sequences move as a group and can grow into finished runs; mixed ones have to be taken apart later. In the 1-suit game this happens automatically.
- Be careful with Kings. A King can only move into an empty column, so a King sitting on face-down cards keeps them buried until a column opens up. Spend an empty column on a King when that frees cards you need; a King with nothing underneath it is already where it belongs.
- Make every useful move before you deal. Each deal covers every column with a new card, so first turn over what you can and join up sequences. If you have to fill an empty column, a King and its sequence is usually the best choice, because a King at the base of a column never needs to move again.
- Use Hint and Undo to learn. Hint highlights a useful move you may have missed. Undo is unlimited, so you can back out of a line of play that goes nowhere and try another.
Playing Spider Solitaire on Solitaire Parlor
- Moving cards: tap or click a card to send it to the best legal spot, or drag and drop it yourself. If a tap picks the wrong spot, use Undo and drag the card instead.
- Undo takes back moves, as many as you like. Hint highlights a useful move.
- Restart replays the current deal from the beginning. New Game deals a fresh, numbered deal.
- Daily Deal gives everyone the same deal each day.
- 1 suit, 2 suits and 4 suits, next to the title, switch the difficulty.
- Settings changes the table color and card backs, turns on four-color suits, moves the deck to the right side, switches sounds on or off, and can start a numbered deal.
- Stats shows games played, games won, win rate, best time, and your current and best win streaks. They are kept separately for each number of suits and stored in your own browser, not on a server.
Your game saves automatically, so you can close the tab and carry on later in the same browser. The game tracks your time and moves; there is no points score.
A Short History of Spider Solitaire
Spider was played with real cards long before it appeared on computers, traditionally with two ordinary decks and all four suits. The name is often said to come from the eight runs you complete, one for each of a spider's legs. Playing 1 suit with real cards would take the spades from eight decks, so the easier versions are largely a computer-age convenience.
For many people, Spider means the version that came with Windows. Windows XP and Windows 7 both included Spider Solitaire with a choice of one, two or four suits, alongside Klondike Solitaire (simply called Solitaire there) and FreeCell, which you can also play here.
Spider Solitaire FAQ
Is this Spider Solitaire free?
Yes. You can play free Spider Solitaire here with no sign-up and nothing to download. It runs in your web browser, and you can play with a mouse or a touchscreen.
Why can't I deal more cards?
You cannot deal from the stock while any column is empty. Move a card or a sequence into each empty column, then try again. If fewer than ten cards are left on the table, the deal is allowed even with gaps. The stock also runs out after five deals.
Why won't a stack of cards move together?
Only a descending sequence of a single suit can move as a group. If a stack mixes suits, move it in same-suit pieces, using an empty column to hold a piece if you need to.
Can every game of Spider Solitaire be won?
Not necessarily. Most 1-suit deals can be won, but each extra suit makes wins harder, and some deals may be impossible. With unlimited Undo, and Restart to replay the same deal, you can always try again.
Can I replay or share a deal?
Yes. Each New Game has a deal number shown on screen. Add ?deal= and the number to the end of the page link, for example ?deal=4821, to replay that deal later or send it to a friend.