How do you play Spider Solitaire?
Using 104 cards (two decks), win by building eight runs of one suit from King down to Ace. As soon as a full run of thirteen is in place, it leaves the table and moves to the top left.
The game starts with 54 cards in ten columns: six cards in each of the first four and five in the other six, with only the top card face up. The other 50 wait in the stock at the top right. Each tap deals one card to every column, five times in all.
What are the rules for moving cards?
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Placing a card | Put it on a card one rank higher, in any suit. Any 8 will take any 7. |
| Moving a group | Only cards that run down in the same suit can move together. In a mixed column, only the matching part at the bottom moves. |
| Empty column | Any card, or any movable group, can go there. |
| Dealing | One face up card lands on each column. You cannot deal while any column is empty. |
| Flipping | A face down card left on top turns over by itself. |
| Score | Start at 500, lose 1 for every move or deal, gain 100 for every completed run. |
What do 1 suit, 2 suits and 4 suits mean?
It is how many suits are mixed into the 104 cards. With 1 suit every card is a spade, so anything connects and it is the easiest. 2 suits uses spades and hearts, and 4 suits mixes all four, which makes same suit runs much harder to build.
New to Spider? Learn the rules with 1 suit, then move up. Best scores and times are kept separately for each level.
Tips
- Prefer moves onto the same suit. Only same suit runs can move as a group and clear.
- Dig into columns with the most face down cards. Hidden cards are what block you.
- Treat empty columns as gold. Use them to park groups while you sort, not as a dumping spot.
- Tidy up before you deal. A new deal covers every column, so make your moves first.
- Use undo freely. It is unlimited, so try another line when stuck.
What are the controls?
- Drag: pull a card or a same suit group onto another column.
- Tap: sends it to the best spot, trying the same suit first, then any suit, then an empty column.
- Keyboard: Ctrl+Z or U to undo, H for a hint, D or Space to deal.
4 suits is tough even for experienced players, and some deals cannot be solved at all. Undo or start a new game when stuck. Your best score and time for each level are saved in this browser.