About Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is played with two decks across ten columns and is one of the most popular solitaire variations on phones and computers.
Choose 1 suit for a relaxing game, 2 suits for a real challenge, or 4 suits for the classic expert version.
Spider Solitaire at a glance
| Genre | Card game |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no download or sign-up |
| Controls | Tap |
| Typical game length | 10 to 30 minutes |
| Lives | None |
| Works on | Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser |
| Daily challenge | Yes, the same puzzle for everyone each day |
How to play Spider Solitaire
- Tap a card. It moves with any same-suit run stacked on it to the best spot.
- Build down. Any card can go on a card one higher.
- Complete runs. A full King-to-Ace run in one suit clears automatically.
- Deal a new row. Tap the deck for 10 more cards, once every column has at least one card.
Rules
- Only same-suit runs move together.
- Empty columns accept any card or run.
- You cannot deal while a column is empty.
Levels and difficulty
1 suit (all spades), 2 suits (spades and hearts) or 4 suits.
Scoring
You start with 500 points, lose 1 for each move and gain 100 for each completed run. Harder suit settings multiply the score. Daily challenge scores can be shared with friends.
Tips and strategy for Spider Solitaire
- Build same-suit runs whenever you can; mixed runs are hard to move.
- Try to empty a column early; it is the most powerful space in the game.
- Before dealing a new row, tidy up so the new cards do not bury runs.
History of the game
Spider Solitaire dates back to at least 1949 and gained wide popularity when Microsoft added it to Windows in the late 1990s.
How we built and tested Spider Solitaire
We tested dealing, run detection and clearing so that a run is only removed when it is a complete King-to-Ace sequence in one suit.
Frequently asked questions
Which suit setting should I pick?
Start with 1 suit to learn, then move to 2 suits.
Why can I not deal?
Every column needs at least one card before dealing.