How to play Spider Solitaire
Spider is played with two decks (104 cards). Your goal is to build eight complete runs from King down to Ace, each in a single suit. When a column ends in a full King-to-Ace run of one suit, the run is removed from the table. Remove all eight to win.
- The deal: 54 cards go into ten columns: six cards in each of the first four columns and five in the other six. Only the top card of each column is face up. The other 50 cards form the stock at the top left.
- Building: you can put a card on any card one rank higher, whatever the suit. A 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades.
- Moving runs: you can move a stack of cards together only if it runs down in order in one suit, such as 9, 8, 7 of clubs. A mixed-suit stack has to be taken apart first.
- Empty columns: any card or same-suit run can go into an empty column.
- Dealing: when you run out of moves, deal from the stock. Each deal puts one new card face up on every column, five deals in all. You can only deal when no column is empty.
- Face-down cards: when you move the last face-up card off a column, the card underneath turns over.
Controls
- Computer: click a card or run to send it to the best spot: a card of the same suit first, then any card one rank higher, then an empty column. To choose the spot yourself, drag it. Click the stock or press D to deal. Ctrl/Cmd + Z undoes.
- Phone or tablet: tap to move a card automatically, drag to choose the spot, and tap the stock to deal.
1 suit, 2 suits or 4 suits
Every game uses 104 cards. What changes is how many suits they are split between:
| Mode | Cards | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 suit | Eight sets of spades | The easiest: every run you build is already one suit, so it can always move as a unit |
| 2 suits | Four sets each of spades and hearts | A real step up: you now have to sort the suits as you go |
| 4 suits | Two full decks | The classic hard version: mixed-suit stacks pile up fast |
If you are new to Spider, start with 1 suit. Switching modes deals a new game, and your best time is kept for each mode.
Helpful features
- Unlimited undo. Take back any move, including a deal.
- Hints. Press Hint to light up a useful move. Hints look for moves that complete a suit, turn over a face-down card, build on a card of the same suit or clear a column, and they check one move ahead so a good move doesn't spoil a better one. When nothing helps, the hint suggests dealing, or filling an empty column first so that you can deal.
- Automatic suit removal. Complete runs leave the table on their own and stack up at the top.
- Auto-save and best times. Your game is saved on this device.
Quick strategy
- Turn over face-down cards first. Every hidden card you reveal gives you more choices.
- Build in suit whenever you can. A same-suit run can move later. A mixed stack is stuck until you take it apart.
- Empty a column as early as possible. An empty column is the most powerful space in Spider, because it lets you untangle mixed stacks.
- Before dealing, make every move that helps. A deal drops a card on every column, including your neat runs.
- Put Kings in empty columns only with a plan. Nothing can go above a King, so a King in a column locks that column in place.
Our guide to how to play Spider Solitaire explains the rules in more detail, and the Spider Solitaire strategy guide shows how to use empty columns to untangle mixed stacks at 2 and 4 suits.
Pro tip: Just before you deal, look for moves that put runs back in suit, even if they don't reveal anything. The deal will cover every column, and a run that is already in suit is much easier to dig out.
Where Spider came from
Spider is one of the most popular two-deck solitaire games and has appeared in card game books for decades. Many people met it on a computer: Microsoft added Spider Solitaire to Windows with the Microsoft Plus! 98 pack, and it later came built into Windows ME, XP, Vista and 7. The Windows versions offered 1, 2 and 4 suit difficulty levels, just like this one.
Spider Solitaire FAQ
What is the difference between 1, 2 and 4 suit Spider?
All three use 104 cards. With 1 suit every card is a spade, so any run you build can move as a unit. With 2 or 4 suits, only runs of a single suit move together, which makes the game much harder.
Why can't I deal more cards?
In Spider you can only deal a new row when every column has at least one card. Move any card into the empty columns first, then deal.
What happens when I finish a suit?
When a column ends in a complete King-to-Ace run of one suit, it is removed from the table automatically. Remove all eight runs to win.