Move any face-up card — sequence or not — across seven tableau columns in this deeply strategic Klondike variant. No stock pile. All 52 cards in play from the start.
Yukon Solitaire is a Klondike variant that removes the stock pile entirely and replaces it with a powerful new rule: you can move any face-up card along with all cards on top of it, regardless of whether they form a proper sequence. This single rule change transforms the game from a luck-influenced draw-and-play into a deep strategic puzzle.
All 52 cards are dealt to seven tableau columns at the start. Your goal is the same as Klondike — build four foundation piles from Ace to King by suit — but the path to victory requires careful planning, since there's no stock pile to bail you out when you get stuck.
Yukon Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck. The deal is distinctive:
That's all 52 cards dealt out (1+6+7+8+9+10+11 = 52). There is no stock pile and no waste pile. Four empty foundation slots sit at the top of the board.
Your top priority should always be flipping face-down cards. Every face-down card is a locked resource — you can't use it, plan around it, or move it. Before making any other move, ask yourself: “Does this reveal a hidden card?” If yes, it's almost always the right play.
The ability to move any face-up card (regardless of sequence) is your most powerful tool. Use it to dig deep into columns with many face-down cards. Moving a card from the middle of a column brings everything above it along for the ride, which can expose several face-down cards in one move.
Empty columns are extremely valuable in Yukon because only Kings can fill them. Don't rush to fill an empty column unless you're placing a King that unlocks face-down cards elsewhere. An empty column gives you flexibility to reorganize the tableau.
Move cards to foundations when they're safe to send up. A card is safe if both opposite-color cards of the next lower rank are already on their foundations. Don't rush Aces up if the 2s and 3s of those suits are buried deep in the tableau — you may need them for tableau building first.
Yukon rewards deep thinking more than most solitaire games. Before committing to a move, trace the consequences: what gets uncovered, what gets buried, and what new moves become available. A move that looks good in isolation might lock you out of a critical sequence three moves later.
Yukon is derived from Klondike Solitaire but plays quite differently due to two fundamental changes:
| Feature | Klondike | Yukon |
|---|---|---|
| Stock pile | 24 cards in stock | No stock — all cards dealt |
| Cards dealt | 28 to tableau | All 52 to tableau |
| Moving groups | Only properly sequenced runs | Any face-up card + cards above |
| Face-up per column | 1 (top card only) | 5 (columns 2-7) |
| Luck factor | Moderate (stock draws) | Low (all visible from start) |
| Difficulty | Medium | Medium–Hard |
The bottom line: Klondike gives you a stock pile as a safety net but restricts which cards you can move. Yukon takes away the safety net but gives you far more freedom of movement. Both are excellent games, but Yukon rewards patient, strategic play more heavily.
Yukon Solitaire deals all 52 cards to seven tableau columns. Column 1 gets 1 face-up card. Columns 2-7 each get a number of face-down cards equal to the column number, plus 5 face-up cards on top. Column 7 has 11 cards total (6 face-down + 5 face-up). There is no stock pile or waste pile.
Two major differences: First, all 52 cards are dealt to the tableau — there is no stock or waste pile. Second, any face-up card can be moved along with all cards on top of it, even if those cards don't form a proper alternating-color descending sequence. In Klondike, you can only move properly sequenced groups.
You can move any face-up card, along with all cards stacked on top of it, to another tableau column. The card being moved must follow the standard building rule on the destination: it must be one rank lower and the opposite color of the top card. Face-down cards cannot be moved — they flip face-up automatically when exposed.
Only Kings (or groups of cards led by a King) can be placed on an empty tableau column. This is the same rule as Klondike. Empty columns are valuable because they let you reorganize the tableau by parking Kings and their attached cards.
Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King, one card at a time. Only the top card of a tableau column can be moved to a foundation. You win when all four foundations are complete (Ace through King for each suit).
Yukon is generally considered harder than Klondike despite having more movement freedom. The lack of a stock pile means every card you need must be uncovered through tableau manipulation. While more games are theoretically winnable (~85-90%), the decision tree is much deeper, leading to lower practical win rates of 25-40%.
Approximately 85-90% of Yukon Solitaire deals are theoretically winnable with perfect play. However, because the game requires deep strategic planning and the consequences of each move ripple through the entire tableau, practical human win rates typically range from 25-40%.
Focus on uncovering face-down cards as your top priority — every reveal creates new opportunities. Use the ability to move unordered groups to dig deep into columns. Don't fill empty columns with Kings unless doing so uncovers face-down cards. Build foundations steadily but keep cards on the tableau when they're needed for column building.
Put your strategic skills to the test. Move any face-up card, uncover hidden cards, and build all four foundations to win.