Eight Off Solitaire

Eight Off Solitaire is a one-deck patience that plays a lot like FreeCell, with two twists: you get eight reserve cells instead of four, but four of them start full, and the columns build down in the same suit rather than in alternating colors. Every card is dealt face up, so skill decides most games. Play Eight Off Solitaire online free in your browser, with no download or sign-up, on desktop or on your phone.

How to play

One 52-card deck is dealt face up into eight columns of six cards. The last four cards go into four of the eight reserve cells, which sit in a row above the columns. Above the cells are four foundations, one for each suit.

• Building: columns build down in the same suit. Only the 9 of hearts can go on the 10 of hearts, and only the 4 of spades on the 5 of spades.
• Reserve cells: each cell holds one card. You can move the top card of any column into an empty cell, and play a cell card back onto a column or a foundation at any time.
• Moving runs: the rules let you move one card at a time, but the game moves a same-suit run for you when there are enough free cells to do it card by card. The limit is the number of free cells plus one, shown in the top right of the table.
• Empty columns: only a King, or a run with a King at its head, can go into an empty column.
• Foundations: each one builds up in one suit from Ace to King.
• Winning: move all 52 cards to the foundations. If no legal move is left, the game ends.

Controls

Drag a card or a run to a column, a cell or a foundation, or tap a card and then tap where it should go. Double-tap a card to send it home, onto a matching column, into an empty column if it is a King, or into a free cell. On a keyboard, press 1 to 8 to pick a column or Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U and I to pick a cell, then press a column number, F for the foundation or C for a free cell. Z undoes, H shows a hint, N deals a new game and P pauses the clock.

Features

• Auto-move: on by default. Any card that can go to its foundation goes there by itself, including Aces dealt on top of a column or into a cell. Because the columns build in suit, a card that can go home is never needed in the tableau again, so this never costs you a win. You can turn it off.
• Hints: the hint runs a quick solver on the current position. When it finds a winning line it shows you the first move of it and tells you the deal can still be won. If it can’t, it falls back to a sensible move and suggests Undo.
• Undo: unlimited, all the way back to the deal.
• Deal numbers and stats: every deal has a number from 1 to 999999 to replay or share, and the Daily deal gives everyone the same cards for the day. Games played, wins, streaks, fewest moves and fastest time are saved in your browser, along with any game in progress.

Strategy tips

• Treat free cells as your budget. You start with four. Every card you park costs one, and it also shrinks the size of run you can move.
• Go after buried Aces and low cards first. Each card sent home can free up a cell or a column.
• Watch for low cards under high cards of the same suit. A 3 of clubs sitting under the 9 of clubs can only come out when the 9 has somewhere to go.
• Save empty columns for Kings. An empty column is only useful for a King, so plan which King run will fill it before you clear it.
• Empty cells before you fill new ones. Look for a column top that a cell card fits on before parking anything else.

FAQ

Is Eight Off Solitaire free to play?

Yes. It’s free with no account and no install.

How is Eight Off different from FreeCell?

FreeCell has four free cells that all start empty, builds the columns down in alternating colors and lets any card fill an empty column. Eight Off has eight cells with four already full, builds in the same suit and only lets Kings into empty columns.

Can every Eight Off deal be won?

Not every deal, but most can. In our own testing, the built-in solver found a win for the large majority of deal numbers it tried. Use the hint to check whether your current position can still be won.

Why can’t I move a long run?

A run can only move if there are enough free cells to move it one card at a time: free cells plus one. Clear a cell or send a card home, and try again.

Does it work on a phone or Chromebook?

Yes. All eight columns and cells fit on a 320-pixel-wide screen, and you can drag cards or tap to move them.

Want the full rules and more strategy? Read our guide on how to play Eight Off Solitaire. For a two-deck challenge with no cells at all, try Forty Thieves Solitaire next.