Skip to game

Spider Solitaire - Play Free Online

Build eight complete King-to-Ace runs with 1, 2, or 4 suits - no download or signup.

Last updated July 21, 2026

Spider Solitaire is a two-deck card game about turning a crowded tableau into eight clean, same-suit runs. All 104 cards begin either in ten columns or in the stock. Most of the opening cards are face down, so each useful move should do more than make a descending stack: it should uncover information, join cards of the same suit, or create the empty column that gives the board room to breathe.

The goal is to assemble a complete sequence from King down through Ace in one suit. As soon as all thirteen cards form that order at the top of a column, the game removes the sequence to a completed slot. Finish eight sequences to win. You may place a card on the next higher rank even when the suits differ, but a group of cards can move together only when every card in the group is both descending and the same suit.

This version includes the three classic difficulty levels. One suit is the friendliest way to learn because every descending sequence is also a movable sequence. Two suits adds a meaningful planning challenge without filling the board with all four suits. Four suits is the traditional expert puzzle. Every mode includes unlimited Undo, ranked hints, touch and pointer controls, full keyboard play, automatic saving, and a clear message when a stock deal is blocked.

How to play Spider Solitaire

Spider becomes much easier to reason about when you separate three ideas: where a card may land, which groups may move together, and when another stock row may be dealt.

  1. Choose a difficulty. Start with one suit while learning the board, move to two suits when you can keep several columns organized, and choose four suits for the full expert game. The physical deal stays the same; the number of suits changes how hard it is to build groups that move together.
  2. Build downward by rank. Place a card or a movable run on a card exactly one rank higher. A 7 may go on any 8, and a Queen may go on any King. The destination suit does not matter for a single placement, so mixed-suit stacks are legal even though they are less flexible.
  3. Move packed same-suit runs. A group moves as one unit only when it descends by one rank at every step and all cards share the same suit. A same-suit 9-8-7 can move together. A 9-8-7 that changes suit partway through must be separated before the whole group can move.
  4. Uncover face-down cards. Only face-up cards can move. When you move every face-up card away from a column that still has hidden cards, the new top card flips automatically. Uncovering cards is the main source of progress because it reveals new ranks and new suits to work with.
  5. Use empty columns carefully. Any movable card or packed run may enter an empty column. Empty columns are powerful temporary workspaces, but they also control the stock: you cannot deal another row while any column is empty. Use the space to reorganize, then fill it before dealing.
  6. Deal a complete stock row. The stock contains five rows. Dealing places one new face-up card on each of the ten columns. The game will explain why the deal is blocked if a column is empty, so a stock tap never looks like a broken control.
  7. Complete a King-to-Ace sequence. Arrange King, Queen, Jack, 10, and every lower rank down to Ace in one suit at the top of a column. The completed thirteen-card run moves away automatically. That removal may reveal another hidden card or free the entire column.
  8. Finish all eight runs. The game is won when all 104 cards have been organized into eight completed King-to-Ace runs. Your score starts at 500, each move or stock row costs one point, and every completed run adds 100 points.

Strategy guide

Favor moves that uncover a hidden card

A tidy move is not always a productive move. Early in a deal, compare the columns by how many face-down cards they hold and look for a legal move that removes the entire exposed group from one of the deeper columns. Turning over a new card expands the set of ranks you can use and may reveal a suit that completes a packed sequence elsewhere.

When two moves uncover cards, prefer the one that leaves the moved cards in a useful order. Joining a same-suit group while exposing a hidden card accomplishes two jobs at once. Placing a card on a different suit may still be correct, but note how you will separate that mixed stack later. Undo is useful for comparing these branches without losing the deal.

Build in suit whenever the board allows

Spider permits rank builds across suits, but only same-suit descending groups can travel together. That makes a packed same-suit run much more valuable than a visually similar mixed run. If a black 7 can land on either a same-suit 8 or a different-suit 8, the same-suit destination usually preserves more mobility for the next move.

Do not force every card into suit at the cost of blocking a deeper column. A temporary mixed build can be the bridge that exposes an important card. The key is to recognize it as temporary. Keep an empty column, a matching destination, or an Undo point available so the borrowed placement does not become a permanent knot.

Treat an empty column as working space

An empty column can accept any movable card or packed run, making it the strongest tool on the board. It can hold a King-led sequence, let you split a mixed stack into suits, or give a blocked card a temporary home while another column is rebuilt. Creating the first empty column often changes a cramped deal into a flexible one.

Before filling that space, decide what the move accomplishes. Moving a whole column into an empty column usually changes only its address and gains nothing. A better use exposes a hidden card, combines matching suits, or lets a second sequence move. Remember to refill every empty column before tapping the stock, because Spider deals to all ten columns at once.

Plan stock deals before you tap

A stock row adds ten cards and can interrupt every promising sequence at once. Before dealing, scan the exposed tops. Move obvious same-suit pairs together, complete any nearly finished run, and use safe empty-column work while it is still available. The cleaner the tableau is before a deal, the easier it is to absorb the new cards.

Sometimes dealing is still the best move even when tableau moves remain. Repetitive shuffling that neither uncovers a card nor improves a suit wastes points and may return to the same position. The Hint control ranks constructive moves first and suggests a row only after stronger options, but it remains a guide rather than a solver; the final strategic choice is yours.

Manage Kings and Aces differently

Kings cannot land on another rank, so they need an empty column unless they already anchor a tableau. A buried King can therefore define your whole plan: clear a workspace before exposing it, then move the King with as much of its same-suit tail as possible. Parking a lone King in your only empty column may be necessary, but it can also consume the board's best resource.

Aces sit at the other end of the sequence. They cannot receive another card, and they complete a run only after every higher rank is assembled above them. An exposed Ace may look like a nuisance, but placing it on a same-suit 2 locks the bottom of a future completion into place. Avoid covering that pair with a different suit unless it opens something more important.

Adjust your plan for one, two, or four suits

In one-suit Spider, every descending group is movable, so focus on uncovering cards and creating empty columns. It is still possible to bury useful ranks, but the board is forgiving because a long sequence rarely needs to be split by suit. This mode is ideal for learning the rhythm of clearing a column before each stock deal.

Two- and four-suit games demand more patience. In two suits, keep the red and black families as separate as practical. In four suits, a legal mixed build may contain several future break points. Count those suit changes before extending a stack. A shorter packed run is often more useful than a longer mixed column that cannot move when space becomes tight.

Recover from a crowded tableau

When no hidden card is close to being exposed, look for a reversible sequence of moves that creates a same-suit join. Moving one top card may free the matching rank beneath it; that card may then combine with a second column and release the first card again. Spider often advances through these short rearrangement chains rather than one dramatic move.

If the position closes completely, use Undo to return to the decision that filled your last empty column or created a hard mixed stack. Replay keeps the same shuffled deal so you can test a new opening plan, while New game creates a fresh puzzle. A dead end is information: it tells you which temporary placement needed an exit sooner.

Frequently asked questions

Is Spider Solitaire free to play?

Yes. You can play Spider Solitaire here for free in your browser with no download, account, or signup. All three classic suit levels are included.

What is the goal of Spider Solitaire?

Build eight complete same-suit sequences from King down to Ace. Each completed thirteen-card run leaves the tableau automatically. Clear all 104 cards to win.

Can I place a card on a different suit?

Yes. A card may land on any card exactly one rank higher, regardless of suit. However, a multi-card group can move together only when it is descending and all one suit.

Why can I move one card but not the whole stack?

The visible cards may descend correctly but change suit inside the stack. Spider lets you build mixed suits, but only a packed same-suit suffix can move as one group.

Why will the stock not deal?

Every tableau column must contain at least one card before another row can be dealt. Fill each empty column, then use the Deal row button or tap the stock again.

What is the difference between 1-suit, 2-suit, and 4-suit Spider?

One suit uses only spades and is easiest. Two suits uses spades and hearts for a medium challenge. Four suits uses the full deck and requires the most careful sorting.

How does scoring work?

A deal starts at 500 points. Each tableau move or stock row costs one point, and every completed King-to-Ace run adds 100 points. The score never falls below zero.

Does Spider Solitaire save my game?

Yes. Your current deal, difficulty, moves, score, and elapsed time are saved in this browser. Return to the page to continue from the same position.

Can I play Spider Solitaire with a keyboard or on a phone?

Yes. The board supports touch, pointer dragging, smart taps, and a full keyboard mode. Arrow keys move the board cursor, Enter picks up or places cards, and D deals a stock row.

More ways to play