Compare the Games: Which Card Lounge Mode Suits You?

The 13 modes on Card Lounge feel quite different at the table: some deal every card face up, some hide much of the deck in a stock, and some are over in minutes. Here is how each one works. Controls are covered in How to play.

Solitaire with a stock

Klondike: Draw 1 and Draw 3

• Deal: 28 cards in seven columns of 1 to 7, top cards face up; 24 in the stock.
• Moves: down in alternating colours; ordered face-up runs move together; only a King, or a run headed by one, fills an empty column. Foundations go up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: Draw 1 turns one card; Draw 3 turns three, and only the top waste card is playable. Recycles are unlimited.
• Result: won with all 52 cards on the foundations; lost when a full cycle of stock and waste moves no card to the tableau or foundations and no other move exists.

Spider: one, two and four suits

• Deal: 104 cards in one suit, two suits or four suits; ten columns (four of 6, six of 5), top cards face up; 50 in the stock as five deals of ten.
• Moves: any card goes on a card one rank higher, whatever the suit, but only a descending same-suit run moves as a group. Any card or valid run fills an empty column.
• Stock: each deal puts one face-up card on every column, and is not allowed while a column is empty.
• Result: a complete King-to-Ace run of one suit is removed automatically; won when all eight are done, lost when the stock is empty and no legal move changes the position.

Pyramid

• Deal: 28 face-up cards in seven rows; 24 in the stock, one card per draw, three passes in total.
• Moves: remove two available cards that add up to 13, or a King on its own. The top waste card can pair with an available pyramid card.
• Result: won when the pyramid is cleared, even with cards left in the stock or waste; lost when no pair, draw or recycle remains.

TriPeaks

• Deal: 28 cards in three peaks over four rows, only the bottom 10 face up; one card on the waste and 23 in the stock, with no recycling.
• Moves: play an uncovered, face-up peak card to the waste if it is one rank higher or lower, in any suit. King and Ace are neighbours.
• Result: won when all 28 peak cards are cleared; lost when the stock is empty and no peak card can be played.

Golf

• Deal: seven columns of five face-up cards (35), one waste card and 16 in the stock, with no recycling.
• Moves: play the top card of a column to the waste if it is one rank higher or lower, in any suit. No wrap between King and Ace, and nothing goes on a King.
• Result: won when all 35 column cards are gone; lost when the stock is empty and nothing can be played. Your score is the number of cards left.

Solitaire without a stock

FreeCell

• Deal: all 52 cards face up in eight columns (four of 7, four of 6), plus four free cells.
• Moves: down in alternating colours; any card fills an empty column. A run moves in one go when the free cells and empty columns would allow it card by card.
• Result: won with all 52 cards on the foundations; lost when no legal move changes the position.

Yukon

• Deal: all 52 cards in seven columns; the first holds one face-up card, the others 1 to 6 face-down cards under five face-up ones.
• Moves: down in alternating colours, but any face-up card moves with everything on top of it, in order or not. Only a King fills an empty column.
• Result: the same as FreeCell.

Quick rounds

Blackjack

• Deal: a six-deck shoe, reshuffled when fewer than 78 cards remain.
• Play: bet 10, 20, 50 or 100 play chips, then Hit, Stand or Double. The dealer draws to 16 and stands on all 17s.
• Result: won, lost or a push. The chips have no value.

Higher or Lower

• Deal: one deck, one card face up.
• Play: guess by rank, Aces low; an equal rank is a tie and leaves your streak unchanged.
• Result: a streak of 10 wins; one wrong guess loses.

Memory Pairs

• Deal: 24 cards face down in a 6 × 4 grid: 12 pairs of the same rank and colour.
• Play: turn two cards; a matching pair stays face up.
• Result: won when all 12 pairs are found; there is no way to lose.

Which game to pick

For a short break

Higher or Lower, Blackjack, Golf, TriPeaks, Pyramid and Memory Pairs all suit a few spare minutes.

For a long think

FreeCell shows every card, so the challenge is pure planning. Spider four suits, Yukon and Klondike Draw 3 reward patience and looking ahead.

For learning

Start with Klondike Draw 1 or Spider one suit, the gentlest modes, then read the strategy guide.