How We Ranked These Games
Difficulty in solitaire is not just about win rates. A game with a 1% win rate can be trivially easy to play (Clock Solitaire requires zero decisions), while a game with a 90% win rate can demand deep calculation (Eight Off punishes sloppy play despite being almost always winnable).
Our ranking considers three factors: how many meaningful decisions you make per game, how much those decisions affect the outcome (skill vs. luck), and how punishing mistakes are. Games where one wrong move can ruin an otherwise winnable deal rank higher in difficulty than games where luck decides everything.
Beginner Tier
Simple rules, few or no meaningful decisions. Great for relaxing or learning how solitaire works.
#1Clock Solitaire
Zero decisions. Cards are dealt into a clock face and you flip them mechanically until you win or lose. The outcome is determined entirely by the deal. Perfect for unwinding when you want cards moving without any thinking.
#2TriPeaks
Three overlapping peaks of cards, and you remove them one rank up or down from the waste pile. The chain-combo mechanic is satisfying and the rules click in under a minute. A great first solitaire game after Klondike.
#3Aces Up
Deal four cards, discard any card that shares a suit with a higher-ranked card on the board, repeat. The rules are so simple you can teach them in one sentence. The low win rate keeps it from being boring.
#4Golf Solitaire
Seven columns, and you clear cards that are one rank above or below the waste pile top. Named "golf" because you are trying to get the lowest score. Fast rounds and minimal decision-making make it an ideal coffee-break game.
#5Monte Carlo
A 5x5 grid of cards. Remove adjacent pairs of the same rank, then consolidate and redeal. The spatial matching is intuitive, and the grid layout feels different from column-based games. Good for visual thinkers.
Easy Tier
Familiar mechanics with a thin layer of strategy. You will win often enough to stay engaged.
#6Accordion
All 52 cards in a single row. Stack cards onto matching cards 1 or 3 positions to the left. The row compresses like an accordion. Simple rules, but the win rate is punishingly low and most deals are unwinnable no matter what you do.
#7Pyramid Solitaire
Twenty-eight cards arranged in a pyramid. Pair exposed cards that add up to 13 to remove them. Kings go alone. The arithmetic adds a thin layer of decision-making, but luck dominates. It is the game that makes you say "just one more deal."
#8Easy FreeCell
FreeCell with training wheels. Deals are pre-screened to be more forgiving, with aces and low cards near the surface. An excellent way to learn FreeCell mechanics before tackling the full game.
#9Klondike Solitaire
The solitaire game. Seven tableau columns with hidden cards, a stock pile you flip through, and alternating-color builds. Klondike is easy to learn but hard to win consistently because so many cards start face-down. Everyone knows this game even if they do not know its name.
Intermediate Tier
Real decisions that affect outcomes. Skill starts to separate winners from casual players.
#10Gaps (Montana)
Four rows of 13 cards with the aces removed to create gaps. Slide cards into gaps to build ascending suit sequences from left to right. The spatial puzzle feels completely different from other solitaire games. Redeals give you a second chance.
#11Canfield
Originally a casino gambling game where you paid $52 for a deck and earned $5 per card moved to the foundations. A 13-card reserve pile and a random starting foundation rank give every deal a unique flavor. Fast, tense, and stingy with wins.
#12Calculation
Four foundations build by different intervals (1s, 2s, 3s, 4s) wrapping at King. The entire game is deciding which of four waste piles to place each drawn card on. One of the most skill-intensive solitaire games despite having simple rules.
#13Baker's Dozen
Thirteen columns of four face-up cards, Kings moved to the bottom. No free cells, no stock, no empty column tricks. What you see is what you get. The high win rate rewards planning, and the constraints force you to think several moves ahead.
#14FreeCellOur Game
All 52 cards dealt face-up. Four free cells for temporary storage. Build down by alternating colors, foundations up by suit. Nearly every deal is solvable, so when you lose, it is your fault. The gold standard for strategic solitaire.
Advanced Tier
Multiple constraints, deep calculation, and tight margins. These games demand attention and patience.
#15La Belle Lucie
Eighteen fans of three cards. Only the top card of each fan is playable, and building is same-suit descending. Two redeals shuffle everything and give you fresh chances. The tension between conserving redeals and making progress is the heart of the game.
#16Bisley
Aces start in the foundations immediately, and Kings get their own foundation row building downward. You are working both ends toward the middle simultaneously. No stock pile, no redeals, just pure tableau management with a unique dual-direction mechanic.
#17Bristol
Eight fans of three cards plus a stock that deals to three reserve piles. Building is regardless of suit, which sounds lenient until you realize how quickly the fans lock up. The reserve piles add a layer of timing strategy.
#18Yukon
Klondike without a stock pile. All cards are dealt to the tableau, and you can move any face-up card along with everything on top of it, even if the group is not in sequence. This wild freedom makes Yukon feel chaotic, but strong players learn to weaponize it.
#19Baker's Game
FreeCell with same-suit building instead of alternating colors. That one rule change cuts the number of legal moves dramatically. If you can win Baker's Game consistently, you have genuinely mastered the FreeCell family.
#20Eight Off
Eight free cells sounds generous, but same-suit building and Kings-only empty columns mean you need every one of them. The expanded reserve creates long tactical chains that reward deep calculation. High win rate, but only if you plan carefully.
#21Seahaven Towers
Ten columns of five cards, four free cells, same-suit building, Kings-only column fills. Every card is visible from the start. The combination of complete information and tight constraints makes it a puzzle lover's dream.
#22Penguin
Seven columns plus seven free cells called "the flipper." The foundation starting rank is determined by the first card dealt, and same-rank cards begin on the foundations. Complex setup rules, but a very high win rate for players who stick with it.
Expert Tier
Punishing win rates, complex mechanics, or both. Only experienced solitaire players will enjoy these consistently.
#23Cruel
Twelve piles of four cards, same-suit building, unlimited redeals that preserve pile order. The redeals sound forgiving but they are a trap. Cards shift position in predictable but hard-to-visualize ways, and a careless redeal can destroy a winning position.
#24Flower Garden
Six columns of six cards (the "garden") plus a 16-card reserve (the "bouquet") that is fully accessible. Building is regardless of suit, but the tight column count and lack of free cells make every move consequential. Deceptively brutal.
#25Beleaguered Castle
All 52 cards dealt face-up in eight rows flanking four foundation piles. No free cells, no stock pile, no safety net. Building is regardless of suit, but only the end card of each row can move. Sometimes called "FreeCell without the free cells" and it earns that name.
#26Spider Solitaire
Two full decks across ten columns. Build same-suit King-to-Ace sequences to remove them. The 4-suit version is one of the most strategically demanding solitaire games ever created. Deals from the stock can destroy carefully built sequences in an instant.
#27Scorpion
Seven columns with hidden cards. Like Spider, you build same-suit King-to-Ace runs, but you can move any face-up card with its entire pile. Three reserve cards arrive late in the game and can either save you or seal your fate. Volatile and punishing.
#28Forty Thieves
Two decks, ten columns of four, same-suit building, single-card moves only. Also called "Napoleon at St. Helena" because legend says Napoleon played it in exile. The combination of two decks, strict suit rules, and no group moves makes this arguably the hardest mainstream solitaire game.
Full Ranking Table
| # | Game | Win Rate | Skill vs Luck | Tier | Decks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clock Solitaire | ~1% | Mostly Luck | Beginner | 1 |
| 2 | TriPeaks | ~90% | Luck-Heavy | Beginner | 1 |
| 3 | Aces Up | ~10% | Luck-Heavy | Beginner | 1 |
| 4 | Golf Solitaire | ~20% | Luck-Heavy | Beginner | 1 |
| 5 | Monte Carlo | ~30% | Luck-Heavy | Beginner | 1 |
| 6 | Accordion | ~5% | Luck-Heavy | Easy | 1 |
| 7 | Pyramid Solitaire | ~10% | Luck-Heavy | Easy | 1 |
| 8 | Easy FreeCell | ~95% | Balanced | Easy | 1 |
| 9 | Klondike Solitaire | ~30% | Luck-Heavy | Easy | 1 |
| 10 | Gaps (Montana) | ~15% | Balanced | Intermediate | 1 |
| 11 | Canfield | ~10% | Luck-Heavy | Intermediate | 1 |
| 12 | Calculation | ~20% | Skill-Heavy | Intermediate | 1 |
| 13 | Baker's Dozen | ~70% | Skill-Heavy | Intermediate | 1 |
| 14 | FreeCell | ~82% | Pure Skill | Intermediate | 1 |
| 15 | La Belle Lucie | ~15% | Balanced | Advanced | 1 |
| 16 | Bisley | ~20% | Skill-Heavy | Advanced | 1 |
| 17 | Bristol | ~10% | Balanced | Advanced | 1 |
| 18 | Yukon | ~25% | Balanced | Advanced | 1 |
| 19 | Baker's Game | ~75% | Pure Skill | Advanced | 1 |
| 20 | Eight Off | ~90% | Pure Skill | Advanced | 1 |
| 21 | Seahaven Towers | ~89% | Pure Skill | Advanced | 1 |
| 22 | Penguin | ~90% | Pure Skill | Advanced | 1 |
| 23 | Cruel | ~10% | Balanced | Expert | 1 |
| 24 | Flower Garden | ~5% | Skill-Heavy | Expert | 1 |
| 25 | Beleaguered Castle | ~10% | Skill-Heavy | Expert | 1 |
| 26 | Spider Solitaire | ~30% | Balanced | Expert | 2 |
| 27 | Scorpion | ~5% | Balanced | Expert | 1 |
| 28 | Forty Thieves | ~10% | Balanced | Expert | 2 |
What Makes a Solitaire Game Difficult?
Not all difficulty is created equal. Some games are hard because of luck, others because of strategy, and a few because they combine both. Understanding what kind of difficulty a game offers helps you pick the right challenge.
Skill-based difficulty
Games like FreeCell, Baker's Game, and Calculation give you complete or near-complete information. The challenge is finding the right sequence of moves. Losses feel earned because you can always trace them to a specific mistake.
Luck-based difficulty
Games like Clock Solitaire, Accordion, and Canfield have outcomes largely determined by the deal. You can play perfectly and still lose. The difficulty is in accepting that some deals are simply unwinnable.
Number of decisions
More decisions per game generally means more complexity. Clock Solitaire has zero decisions. Klondike has a moderate number. Spider Solitaire can have hundreds of meaningful choices across a single two-deck deal.
Error tolerance
Some games forgive a few suboptimal moves. Others punish a single mistake with a guaranteed loss. Beleaguered Castle and Forty Thieves have razor-thin margins where one wasted move can lock the entire board.
Solitaire Difficulty FAQ
What is the easiest solitaire game?
Clock Solitaire is the easiest to learn because it requires zero decisions. For a game that is both easy and satisfying, TriPeaks has a ~90% win rate and simple chain-matching rules that anyone can pick up immediately.
What is the hardest solitaire game?
Forty Thieves is widely considered the hardest mainstream solitaire game. It uses two decks, requires same-suit building, only allows single-card moves, and has a win rate around 10%. Scorpion and Flower Garden are close runners-up.
Which solitaire game requires the most skill?
FreeCell is the purest test of skill because all 52 cards are visible from the start, removing luck entirely. Nearly every deal is solvable, so losses are always the player's fault. Baker's Game and Seahaven Towers are similarly skill-dependent.
Does a high win rate mean a game is easy?
Not necessarily. Games like Eight Off (~90% win rate) and Penguin (~90%) have high win rates but demand careful planning and deep calculation. A high win rate combined with pure skill means the game rewards expertise, not that it plays itself.
What solitaire game should a beginner start with?
Start with Klondike (the classic) to learn basic solitaire mechanics. Then try TriPeaks for a faster, more forgiving experience. When you are ready for strategy, move to Easy FreeCell before graduating to full FreeCell.
Is FreeCell harder than Klondike?
FreeCell is strategically deeper but has a much higher win rate (~82% vs ~30%). Klondike is "harder" in the sense that luck frequently makes deals unwinnable. FreeCell is harder in the sense that every loss is a mistake you could have avoided.
What is the difference between difficulty and win rate?
Win rate measures how often you can finish a game successfully. Difficulty reflects the mental effort required. Clock Solitaire has a ~1% win rate but zero difficulty because you make no decisions. FreeCell has an ~82% win rate but is genuinely challenging because every move matters.
Are two-deck solitaire games harder than one-deck?
Generally yes. Two-deck games like Spider and Forty Thieves have more cards to manage, more duplicate ranks to track, and more ways for the board to lock up. Spider 4-suit and Forty Thieves are among the hardest solitaire games.
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