FreeCell

Game Objective:

The primary objective in FreeCell Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau into the four foundation piles, building each foundation by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: The game uses a standard 52-card deck with no Jokers.
• Initial Arrangement:
  • Shuffle the deck and deal all cards face-up into eight tableau columns (piles).
  • The first four tableau columns each receive seven cards; the remaining four columns each receive six cards.
• Key Play Areas:
  • Tableau: The eight columns where all cards are initially dealt and play begins. All cards are face-up and visible.
  • FreeCells: Four single-card holding spaces located above the tableau, used for temporarily storing any one card each.
  • Foundations (HomeCells): Four piles, one for each suit, also above the tableau. Cards are built in ascending order by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All cards in FreeCell Solitaire are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards at any point in the game.

FreeCell Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile or any card in a FreeCell may be moved.
  • A card can be moved to:
    • A foundation pile (if it matches the suit and is the next in ascending order).
    • Another tableau column (if it forms a descending sequence of alternating colors).
    • A FreeCell (if there is space; each FreeCell holds only one card).
• Building Sequences:
  • Tableau: Build down in rank and alternate colors (e.g., a red 7 can be placed on a black 8).
  • Foundations: Build up in rank by suit (e.g., Ace, 2, 3, …, King of Hearts).
• Moving Cards/Sequences:
  • Only one card may be moved at a time, unless there are enough empty FreeCells and/or empty tableau columns to temporarily hold cards, allowing for the movement of a sequence of cards as a group.
  • The maximum number of cards that can be moved together equals one plus the number of empty FreeCells and empty tableau columns.
  • Cards in FreeCells can be moved back to the tableau or to the foundations, if legal.

Gameplay:

• Typical Sequence of Actions:
  • Identify and move Aces and low cards to the foundations as soon as possible.
  • Rearrange tableau columns by moving cards to create descending sequences of alternating colors.
  • Use FreeCells strategically to temporarily store cards and unblock moves.
  • Move cards from FreeCells back to the tableau or to the foundations when possible.
  • Move sequences of cards between tableau columns if there are enough empty FreeCells and/or tableau columns to facilitate the move.
  • Fill empty tableau columns with any card or a valid sequence, as permitted by the rules.
• Introducing New Cards:
  • There is no stock or reserve pile in FreeCell; all cards are in play from the start.
• No More Legal Moves:
  • If no legal moves remain (i.e., no cards can be moved to foundations, tableau, or FreeCells), the game is lost or unwinnable.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
  • The game is won when all 52 cards are successfully moved to the four foundation piles, each built in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:
  • The game is lost or unwinnable if no more legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns:
  • Any card or valid descending sequence of alternating colors can be moved to an empty tableau column.
  • Empty tableau columns count as additional "free cells" for the purpose of calculating how many cards can be moved as a sequence.
• FreeCells Usage:
  • Each FreeCell can hold only one card.
  • Cards can be moved in and out of FreeCells at any time, provided the move is legal.
• Irrevocable Moves:
  • Once a card is placed in a foundation pile, it cannot be moved back to the tableau or FreeCells.
• Sequence Movement Limitation:
  • The number of cards that can be moved together as a sequence is strictly limited by the number of empty FreeCells and tableau columns available.
• No Hidden Cards:
  • All cards are visible throughout the game, eliminating hidden information and making FreeCell largely a game of skill rather than chance.

This guide is based strictly on official and authoritative FreeCell Solitaire rulesets and excludes non-essential information such as game lore or history.