How To Play Solitaire

Brief Solitaire Overview

Championship Solitaire Challenge is the newest title in DreamQuest Games’ exciting game catalog. Get your own copy today and join the fun today!

For a complete introduction on how to play Championship Solitaire Challenge, please use our interactive Solitaire 101 Tutorial, accessible from the game’s Help menu. Simply click the Menu button in the lower left corner, select Help, and then select Solitaire Tutorial.

Solitaire is a name that can be given to any card game designed to be played with one player. (We have also designed a brand-new mode to play solitaire for two players – explained in the section entitled “Challenge Mode” at the bottom of this page.) Championship Solitaire contains three different games of solitaire: KLONDIKE, FREECELL and ADDICTION.

Klondike

The objective of Klondike is to move all the cards to the FOUNDATION (labeled 1 in the illustration). Cards begin in two locations, in columns of the PLAYFIELD (label 2), and the STOCK (3). In the PLAYFIELD, the top cards of each column begin face up. The following moves are allowed in Klondike:

Face down cards in the tableau can only be turned face up if there are no cards above it, face up or face down.

Face up cards may be moved onto any other face up card that is one rank above it and of the opposite color. (Example: a red seven can be moved onto a black eight or a black jack may be moved onto a red queen.)

Aces are low, Kings are high. This is called “creating a RUN (5).”

Only Kings may only be moved into an empty column.

Cards may move up to the foundation if the card of the same suit and the rank below it is already there. You may move an Ace up to the foundation at any time.

You may move a RUN of face up cards of any size to anywhere where the highest card in the run is allowed. Runs may be combined, as long as the cards alternate suits and descend in rank.

There is also a stack of cards called the STOCK. You may move cards from the stock to the DISCARD pile (4), either as single cards or in groups of three. You may play the top card of the discard to any legal position in the PLAYFIELD, or the Foundation. You may move the discard back into the stock according to selected game options, depending on which variation was chosen in the game Menu.

The MINI-PLAYFIELD (6) shows the game status. Your avatar will be displayed on the left and your opponent (in Challenge mode) on the right (7).

Free Cell

The objective of Freecell is to move all cards to the FOUNDATION (labled 1) from the PLAYFIELD (2). Freecell is similar to Klondike. The main differences between the two games are the absence of a stock and that all cards are now face up. There are also four empty spaces at the bottom left of the screen called FREECELLS (3). Any card may be moved there at any time. Here are the movement rules for Freecell:

Cards may move up to the foundation if the card of the same suit and the rank below it is already there. You may move an Ace up to the foundation at any time.

Any card may be moved to a Freecell at any time.

Any card may be moved to an empty column. (Different from Klondike)

A card may be moved onto a card that is of opposite color and one higher in rank, a King being the highest (creating a RUN). Only Kings may be played into empty columns.

Although technically only one card may be moved at a time, runs may be moved if there are enough Freecells and empty columns to hold the run. See label 1 for an example.

Addiction

In Addiction Solitaire, the entire deck is dealt face-up in a rectangle — in four rows and thirteen columns. When all cards have been laid out, the four Aces are removed, leaving four empty spaces in their places. Move single cards to the empty spaces. Each time a card is moved, you leave a new empty space behind so that there are always four spaces left empty.

These are the guidelines for valid moves:

A card may be moved next to the card that is one higher in rank and is the same suit. For example, you can move the six of diamonds into an empty space next to a five of diamonds.

Nothing may be played to an empty space that has a King to its immediate left.

Only 2s may be played to empty spaces in the first (left-most) column.

You may move until all four of the empty spaces are either next to a King or next to another empty space. When this happens, you may click on the Stock (2) to re-deal all the cards except those that are already in the GOAL position (that is, in suit and sequence starting from a 2 in the leftmost column); this shuffles and lays them down again, leaving an empty space in each row just to the right of the in-suit-and-sequence cards that you didn’t pick up.

You may re-deal as many times as you set in the game options or until you win the game!

Challenge Mode

A special feature of Dreamquest Solitaire is the Challenge Mode. It is a race between you and an opponent to see who can finish your solitaire game first. A score is kept for each player. The first to reach the GOAL LIMIT (52 points for Klondike and Freecell, 48 points for Addiction) will be the winner. Within Klondike and Freecell, 1 point will be gained for moving a card to the Foundation. Points are earned in Addiction for every card that you are able to get in the final order.

More Solitaire Resources

Download a free 3-game trial of Championship Solitaire Challenge to take advantage of our easy interactive tutorial or to try your hand at a real game. Access the tutorial by simply clicking the Tutorial button on the first game screen you see.
If you’d like more information about Championship Solitaire Challenge, please visit our Championship Solitaire Challenge Information Page.
For expert tips and techniques, please visit our Solitaire Tips page.