Ply Yard
About FreeCell
Browser FreeCell is a solo packing puzzle, not a two-player contest. Teach free cells, empty columns, and foundations. Do not treat hints or auto-collect as a full solve.
- Ruleset covered
- Numbered face-up FreeCell with undo, hints, and auto-collect
- Updated
- · Editorial policy and corrections
FreeCellRules and variant distinctions
Face-up tableau, free cells, and foundations
Standard FreeCell: all 52 cards start face up in eight columns. Four free cells each hold one card; four foundations build Ace to King by suit. You may move one card, or a same-suit descending run whose length fits the empty cells and empty columns. Filling all four foundations to King wins.
Numbered deals, daily board, undo, and hints
Each deal has a number; the same number always deals the same cards. The daily board is fixed by UTC date. Undo steps back one move. The first hint highlights a suggestion; a second tap plays it. Safe foundation cards auto-collect; that is not a full solve. Progress stays in this browser. There is no account and no online room.
Practical strategy
Free one cell, then park a same-suit run on an empty column.
Say how many empty cells that move used.
Replay the same deal number with and without hints.
Note that a hint is a suggestion, not a full solution.
A common misconception
Hint or auto-collect is the whole optimal solution.
Hint suggests one move; auto-collect only takes cards already safe for foundation. The packing is still yours.
Position study: How long a run an empty column can take
Two free cells and one empty column are open; you hold a four-card same-suit descending run.
Can that run move onto the empty column in one go?
Show the answer and analysis
Only if empty cells and empty columns support that length; otherwise split it first.
FreeCell is a budget of empty slots, not a license to slide whole columns at will.
This position was constructed for instruction. It is not a tournament record or an engine-verified proof of an optimal move. Evaluate it under the stated conditions; do not assume unlisted features of the complete position.
Structured practice
Understand the rules
Play the same deal twice, once with hints and once without.
Assessment: State that the first hint highlights and the second plays.
Compare candidate moves
Leave a card that should not go to foundation early.
Assessment: Explain why auto-collect did not take it.
Frequently asked questions
What opens on the homepage?
A numbered FreeCell deal. Change the number, or play the daily board for that UTC date.
Are the cards face up?
Yes. All 52 cards start face up. There are no hidden cards.
Does hint move for me?
The first tap only highlights. Tap hint again to play that move.
Does auto-collect finish the game?
No. Only cards that are already safe to foundation are collected.
Do I need an account?
No. Open freecell.plyyard.com in your browser.
Are there online rooms?
No. This is a solo card game. Progress stays in this browser.
Put your understanding into practice.
Choose one skill to work on in your next game. A clear reason for each move is more useful than an immediate win.
Play FreeCellRules sources and editorial notes
- Current rules for this game on Ply Yard
Identifies the board variant and interface described here. Platform instructions are not a complete statement of every tournament ruleset.
This guide combines the relevant board's rules with independently constructed examples and exercises. It distinguishes basic rules, variant-specific provisions, and strategic advice. Rules sections draw on the sources listed above. Instructional positions have not been presented as exhaustively engine-verified or certified by professional players.
Written by Ply Yard. Independent review by a named professional player has not been completed. To report an issue, send the game, ruleset, position, and relevant source provision to contact@plyyard.com.
