FreeCell Rules At A Glance
FreeCell is a solitaire card game played with one standard 52-card deck. Unlike many solitaire games, every card is visible from the beginning. There is no stock pile, no draw pile, and no hidden information. That simple fact changes the feel of the game. You are not waiting for the next card to appear. You are studying the whole layout, choosing a path, and keeping enough room open to rearrange the cards.
A standard FreeCell board has 8 cascades, 4 free cells, and 4 foundations. The cascades are the main columns of cards. The free cells are temporary holding spaces that can each store one card. The foundations are the suit piles where cards are built from Ace to King. The goal is to move all 52 cards to the foundations. When the four foundations contain every card in order, the game is won.
The most important FreeCell rule is that tableau moves build downward by alternating colors. A red 6 can be placed on a black 7, and a black Queen can be placed on a red King. You cannot place a red 6 on a red 7, and you cannot place a 6 on an 8. Foundations work the other way: they build upward by suit. The Ace of hearts starts the heart foundation, then the 2 of hearts, then the 3 of hearts, continuing through the King.
The Object Of The Game
The object is to move every card to its matching foundation. Each foundation accepts only one suit and must start with the Ace. You do not need to finish cascades in a certain order, and you do not need to keep any cards in the free cells. The only final requirement is that all foundations are complete from Ace through King.
Because all cards are face up, FreeCell is usually more strategic than lucky. A blocked card is blocked because of the current arrangement, not because it is hidden. The rules give you enough flexibility to solve most deals, but they also punish careless storage. If every free cell is filled and no cascade is empty, even a simple move may become impossible.
The Starting Layout
A new FreeCell game deals all 52 cards into 8 cascades. The first 4 cascades contain 7 cards each, and the last 4 cascades contain 6 cards each. All cards are face up. This means you can immediately see Aces, low cards, buried Kings, and any long sequences that might become useful later.
The 4 free cells begin empty. The 4 foundations also begin empty. In Microsoft FreeCell rules, the player moves cards by using the cascades, free cells, and foundations. There is no reshuffle and no redeal. The position you receive is the puzzle you solve.
Legal Moves In FreeCell
A single exposed card can move from the bottom of a cascade to another cascade, to an empty free cell, or to a legal foundation. A card in a free cell can move to a cascade or foundation. Cards in foundations generally stay there, because foundations represent progress toward the win. A card that is covered by another card in a cascade is not available until the cards below it are moved away.
A cascade move is legal when the moving card is one rank lower than the destination card and the opposite color. For example, the 9 of clubs can move onto the 10 of hearts or 10 of diamonds. The 9 of clubs cannot move onto the 10 of spades, because both are black. It also cannot move onto a Jack, because the rank does not descend by exactly one.
An empty cascade can accept any exposed card or any legal movable sequence. Empty cascades are powerful because they give you a temporary work area. Many players think of free cells as the main storage spaces, but empty cascades are often even stronger. A free cell holds one card; an empty cascade can hold a whole sequence if the current position allows it.
Moving More Than One Card
FreeCell lets you move an ordered sequence when there is enough temporary space to make the move possible. A sequence must already be built downward by alternating colors. The number of cards you can move depends on the number of empty free cells and empty cascades. In practical terms, every empty space gives you more room to shuffle cards around.
A common formula is that the maximum movable sequence is based on open free cells plus one, multiplied by powers of two for empty cascades. If you move a sequence into an empty cascade, that destination cascade does not count as spare workspace for the move. This limit is why filling all free cells too soon can make a promising position feel frozen.
Moving To A Free Cell
A free cell can hold exactly one card. You can move any exposed cascade card into an empty free cell, but you cannot place a card into an occupied free cell. You also cannot move a stack into a free cell. This is one of the easiest rules to remember and one of the easiest to misuse. A free cell should usually buy time, not become long-term storage.
When you play FreeCell online, the interface may highlight legal free cell moves. Even then, a legal move is not always a good move. If moving a card to a free cell does not uncover something useful or create a clear next step, pause and look for a better option.
Moving To A Foundation
A foundation begins with an Ace. After the Ace, only the next card of the same suit can be placed there. The 2 of spades can move to the spade foundation only after the Ace of spades is already there. The 5 of clubs can move only after the 4 of clubs is there. Foundations ignore color alternation because each foundation is suit-specific.
Moving cards to foundations is how you win, but timing matters. Low cards are usually safe to move early. Higher cards can sometimes be useful in the cascades, especially when they support a long alternating sequence. A safe foundation move is one that does not remove a card you still need for organizing the tableau.
How To Win A FreeCell Game
Winning FreeCell means completing all 4 foundations from Ace to King. You can think of the game as a balance between progress and flexibility. Foundation moves create progress. Empty free cells and empty cascades create flexibility. Strong play keeps both goals alive. If you only chase foundation moves, you may strand important cards. If you only rearrange cascades, you may waste moves and never simplify the board.
A good first pass is to look for Aces and 2s. If they are accessible, foundations can begin quickly. Next, look for blocked low cards. If an Ace is buried under a King and Queen, you know that column may need careful attention. You do not have to solve the whole game immediately, but you should identify which columns contain cards that must be released early.
Empty cascades often decide the game. Creating one empty cascade gives you a place to park a King, move a sequence, or temporarily unpack a column. Creating two empty cascades can open the board dramatically. When you have an empty cascade, use it with purpose. Do not fill it just because a card can move there. Ask whether the move exposes a needed card or creates a better sequence.
Common Rule Mistakes
Many new players treat free cells like a second tableau. That is legal only in the smallest sense. A free cell can hold one card, but it does not build by rank and it cannot hold a sequence. Once all 4 free cells are filled, your ability to move stacks drops sharply. Use them as temporary tools, not as a place to hide inconvenient cards.
Another common mistake is misunderstanding color. Cascades alternate red and black, but foundations build by suit. The 6 of hearts can sit on the 7 of clubs in a cascade, but the heart foundation needs the 5 of hearts before it can accept the 6 of hearts. A legal cascade relationship does not imply a legal foundation relationship.
Players also forget that a visible card is not always movable. Only exposed cards at the bottom of cascades can move. A card buried in the middle of a cascade must be uncovered first. This is why the starting layout matters so much. You can see the entire puzzle, but the rules still control the order in which cards become available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic FreeCell rules?
Use 8 cascades, 4 free cells, and 4 foundations. Build cascades downward by alternating colors, build foundations upward by suit from Ace to King, and move all 52 cards to the foundations to win.
How many cards are in FreeCell?
FreeCell uses a standard 52-card deck. All cards are dealt face up at the start of the game.
How many free cells are allowed?
Standard Microsoft FreeCell has 4 free cells. Each free cell can hold one card.
Can any card move to an empty cascade?
Yes. Any exposed card, or a legal movable sequence, can move to an empty cascade if the move fits the available space rules.
Can you move stacks in FreeCell?
Yes, but only ordered stacks that descend by rank and alternate colors. The maximum stack size depends on open free cells and empty cascades.
What goes on foundations?
Foundations are built upward by suit. Each one starts with an Ace and continues 2, 3, 4, and so on through King.