The layout
Spider Solitaire uses two packs of cards, 104 in all. To start, 54 are dealt into ten columns: six cards in each of the first four columns and five in the other six. Only the last card of each column is face up. The other 50 cards wait to be dealt, ten at a time.
You can play with one suit (all spades), two suits (spades and hearts) or all four. The rules are the same; more suits make it harder.
How cards move
A card can be placed on any card one rank higher, whatever its suit: a 6 on a 7, a Queen on a King. Aces are low, and nothing goes on an Ace.
Cards can move together only when they form a run: all the same suit, in order, with nothing out of place. You can pick up a whole run, or the lower part of one.
Any card or run can go into an empty column. Empty columns are precious: they are where you untangle mixed runs and move awkward cards out of the way.
Turning over hidden cards
When you move the last face-up card off a column, the hidden card underneath turns over. Turning over hidden cards is how you make progress: every one you uncover gives you more choices.
Dealing a new row
When you have no useful moves left, press Deal. One new card goes face up onto every column, so the new cards land on top of whatever you have built. There are five deals in a game. You cannot deal while a column is empty: put a card in it first.
Completing a run
When a column ends in a full run of one suit, from King down to Ace, those thirteen cards leave the table on their own and are shown at the top. Complete all eight runs and you have won.
Tips to win more games
- Prefer the same suit. When a card can go to more than one place, choose a card of its own suit. Mixed runs are easy to build and hard to take apart.
- Turn over hidden cards early. A move that uncovers a card is usually better than one that just tidies up.
- Aim for an empty column. Work on the shortest columns first. One empty column makes many moves possible.
- Don’t waste an empty column. Only move a King into one when it brings a run with it; a lone King there blocks the space.
- Tidy up before dealing. Every deal covers all ten columns, so finish what you can first.
- Use undo to explore. Undo here takes back anything, including a deal, so try a line and come back if it goes nowhere.
How hard is it?
With one suit, Spider is a gentle game, and on this site every 1-suit deal has been checked so that it can be won. With two suits most games can still be won with care. Four suits is one of the hardest patience games there is, and even strong players win only some of their games.
Where to play
Start with Spider Solitaire, 1 suit. Then try 2 suits, and, when you feel brave, 4 suits.