FreeCell Cheat Sheet
Move priorities, traps to avoid, keyboard shortcuts, and a rescue checklist — everything you need at a glance. Bookmark this page and check it mid-game.
Setup at a Glance
52 cards dealt face-up into 8 cascades (4 columns of 7, 4 columns of 6). Four empty free cells for temporary storage. Four foundation piles where you build each suit from Ace to King. That is the entire setup. No stock pile, no draw pile, no hidden cards.
Move Priority Checklist
Move Aces and Twos to foundations immediately.
They cannot help you in the tableau. Get them out of the way.
Uncover buried low cards (3s, 4s, 5s).
Foundations stall when low cards are trapped. Freeing them unblocks everything above.
Build long descending runs in alternating colors.
Consolidating cards into ordered sequences reduces clutter and frees space.
Keep free cells empty as long as possible.
Every occupied free cell reduces your supermove capacity. Use them as temporary parking only.
Create empty cascades — they are more valuable than free cells.
An empty cascade doubles your supermove capacity; a free cell only adds one.
Plan 3-4 moves ahead before committing.
Ask: "What does this move enable?" If the answer is nothing, reconsider.
What to Avoid
Filling all free cells in the first 15 moves.
You lose almost all supermove capacity and can only move one card at a time.
Moving Kings to empty cascades without a plan.
A King in an empty cascade is semi-permanent. Only Queens can go on top. Make sure it is the right King for the sequences you are building.
Auto-moving high cards to foundations too early.
A 6 on the foundation cannot help you sequence a 5 in the tableau. Only move cards to foundations when both opposite-color cards of one rank lower are already home.
Ignoring buried Aces while building pretty sequences.
Aces must reach the foundation before anything else can follow. A buried Ace is the highest-priority problem on the board.
Building long sequences you cannot move.
Calculate your supermove capacity first: (1 + free cells) × 2^(empty cascades). If you cannot move the sequence when you need to, do not build it.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
1 - 8 | Select cascade column 1 through 8 |
A / S / D / F | Select free cell 1 through 4 |
Q / W / E / R | Move card to foundation 1 through 4 |
Space or Enter | Auto-move selected card to best target |
Z | Undo last move |
Y | Redo last undone move |
H | Show hint |
N | Start new game |
Escape | Deselect current card |
? | Show keyboard shortcuts guide |
Supermove Quick Reference
| Free Cells | 0 empty cols | 1 empty col | 2 empty cols |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 free | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| 3 free | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| 2 free | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 1 free | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 0 free | 1 | 2 | 4 |
If You Are Stuck
Press H for a hint. The game may see a move you overlooked.
Check every free cell. Can any of those cards go to a foundation or a cascade?
Look for free cells you can empty. A card that has a valid cascade target is wasting space in a free cell.
Count your empty spaces and calculate your supermove capacity. You may be able to move a bigger sequence than you think.
Undo back to the point where the board had more room. Try a completely different approach from that position.
If you are stuck with all free cells filled, focus exclusively on moving one card out of a free cell. Any card. Even an imperfect move that frees a cell can reopen the board.
Consider whether restarting the same deal (not a new deal) with a different opening line might work better.
Put the Cheat Sheet to Work
Open a game and keep this page in a second tab. Refer back to the move priorities and shortcuts as you play.