Free Cells Strategy: How to Solve Every Deal
Free Cells is the solitaire game where skill matters most, because every card is dealt face up and almost every deal can be solved. With eight columns, four free cells and four foundations, the challenge is planning. This guide explains how many cards you can move at once, how to free buried cards and how to finish for the best score.
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Plan before the first move
Every card is visible, so take a moment to look before you start. Find the Aces and Twos and note how deep they are buried. Look for short columns that could be emptied in a few moves. A good first plan is to free one Ace and empty one column, rather than making whatever move happens to be available.
Treat free cells as precious
A free cell is a parking space for one card. It is tempting to fill them quickly, but every full cell reduces how many cards you can move in one go. Only park a card when it unlocks something useful, such as an Ace, a needed low card or an empty column, and try to empty the cell again soon.
Know your move limit
You can move a run of cards in alternating colours as one, but the number is limited. It equals the number of empty free cells plus one, doubled for every empty column. With two empty cells and one empty column, you can move six cards. Count before you plan a long move, or the game will not let you make it.
Value empty columns
An empty column is worth more than a free cell, because it can hold a whole run, not just one card, and it doubles your move limit. Do not fill an empty column with a single random card. Use it to break up a long column, or to hold a run while you rearrange something, then empty it again.
Finish with a strong score
Each card sent to a foundation is worth 10 points, and winning adds a time bonus, plus 200 points if you never used undo. Once low cards are home, the game often sends safe cards up automatically, and the Auto button finishes when everything is in order. Try the daily deal, which is the same for everyone, to compare your result.
Questions
- How many cards can I move at once?
- The number of empty free cells plus one, doubled for each empty column. Four empty cells and no empty columns let you move five cards.
- Is every deal solvable?
- Almost every deal can be solved with careful play, so if you get stuck, use undo to try a different plan.
- What is the daily deal?
- A deal that is the same for every player for the whole day, so you can compare times and scores with friends.
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