Solitaire (Klondike) is a card game you play on your own: you arrange cards into seven piles and build four foundations from Ace to King. This guide explains the version where you draw three cards at a time, in plain language, with a clear note on what is published and what is not yet published about scoring.
What you need
- Players: one player in solo mode. There is also a competitive mode for two players on the same deal, but it is not currently open because of a gap in the points table.
- Cards: a single 52-card deck with no Jokers.
- Colours: ♥ and ♦ are red, ♠ and ♣ are black.
How the board starts
- 4 empty foundations.
- 7 tableau piles of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards.
- In each pile only the top card is face up and the cards beneath are face down.
- The remaining cards form the stock, and the waste pile starts empty.
The goal
To place all 52 cards on the four foundations, each foundation being a single suit built from A to K. When that happens, the board closes itself as a win.
How cards move
Foundations
Each foundation is for a single suit: A, then 2 up to 10, then J, Q and K, and suits cannot be mixed. One card moves at a time, and a card never returns from a foundation to the tableau.
Tableau piles
- Build downward by exactly one rank, alternating colours: red on black and black on red.
- You can move one face-up card, or a full valid face-up sequence as one block.
- Face-down cards cannot be moved, and when a move exposes a face-down card beneath, it turns face up automatically.
- An empty pile accepts only a King, or a valid sequence headed by a King.
Stock and waste
- Three cards are drawn from the stock each time, and the last draw may be shorter than three.
- Only the top waste card can be moved.
- When the stock runs out, the waste is turned back into it with no shuffle, keeping the same order.
Undo and finishing
Undo is unlimited; it reverses a move exactly and gives back the points that move earned, so feel free to experiment. You can finish the game whenever you choose after confirming, and the result then becomes final with no Undo afterwards. In solo mode time counts up, and your game is kept if you leave the screen.
Scoring: what is confirmed and what is not yet published
We want to be honest here: the full points table and the time-bonus formula have not been published yet, so we do not state unconfirmed numbers. What is confirmed so far:
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| First 3 stock restarts | Free |
| Each restart after the third | −20 points |
| Undo | Gives back the points of the reversed move |
| Time bonus for finishing early | Exists, but its formula is not yet published |
| Points for foundations, revealing cards, tableau moves and completion bonus | Values not yet determined |
Once a final table is adopted it will be added to the rules page.
Common beginner mistakes
- Putting a card other than a King into an empty pile, which is not accepted.
- Trying to move an invalid sequence, such as two adjacent cards of the same colour.
- Expecting to take a card back from a foundation; that is not possible.
- Assuming every restart is free; only the first three are, and after that each costs 20 points.
- Trying to Undo after the final Finish.
Quick FAQ
How many cards do I draw at a time?
Three, although the last draw may be shorter.
Can I undo as much as I like?
Yes, Undo is unlimited until you make the final Finish.
How many points does each move give?
That is not published yet, because the full points table has not been released.
ERAM CARDS is an online multiplayer card and board game app, starting on Android in Arabic and English. Full rules: full Solitaire rules.