Klondike is the solitaire everyone means when they say 'solitaire' — the patience game that shipped with every copy of Windows. One deck is dealt into seven tableau columns and your job is to build four foundation piles, each running from Ace up to King in a single suit. It's free here, plays in any browser with nothing to install, and it's open 24/7 with unlimited undo, on-demand hints and full-screen play whenever you want a quick hand.
How to play Klondike solitaire
Seven columns are dealt with one to seven cards, only the top card of each face-up, and the remaining 24 cards form the stock. In the tableau you build down in alternating colours — a red six takes a black five — and you may move an ordered run as a unit. Flip each face-down card you uncover; an empty column can be filled only by a King. Meanwhile you feed the four foundations up by suit from Ace to King. Cards you can't place go from the stock to the waste; recycle the waste when the stock runs dry. Win the instant all 52 cards reach the foundations. Fancy more? Try Spider or FreeCell.
Tips to win more Klondike games
The biggest lever is turning over face-down cards — prioritise moves that expose them over already-open columns. Draw from the stock early to survey your options, and don't rush low cards to the foundation, because a two left in play can be a landing spot for a run. Work to empty a column, but hold the gap until you have a King ready to move in. Use Undo to test a line and Hint when you're genuinely stuck.
Turn 1 vs Turn 3
In Turn 1 you flip a single stock card at a time, so every card is reachable and most deals are winnable — the friendlier game. Turn 3 flips three at once and hides two of every three cards, dropping the win rate sharply and rewarding careful counting. Learn on Turn 1, then step up to Turn 3 when you want the deals to fight back.