The goal
Clear the tableau by building eight complete sequences, each running from King down to Ace in a single suit. A completed sequence moves to the foundation area automatically. When all eight sequences are cleared, the game is won.
You do not need to clear the columns in order. Progress is measured by how many sequences reach the foundation, and every freed card gives you more room to work.
The opening deal
Spider uses 104 cards: two standard decks, with the number of suits reduced according to difficulty. The ten tableau columns receive 54 cards in total: four columns get six cards, and six columns get five. Only the bottom card of each column is face up.
The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile, split into five deals of ten cards. The foundation area starts empty. There is no separate discard pile or waste pile.
Legal moves
There are three basic actions:
- Move a single card onto a card of the next-higher rank. Suit does not matter. A seven can go on an eight of any suit.
- Move a same-suit group onto the next-higher rank. The group must already be in descending order and must share one suit. For example, 9-8-7 of hearts can move together onto a 10 of any suit.
- Move a card or group into an empty column. Any face-up card or valid same-suit group is allowed. The column does not need a King.
The suit rule is the important one. A descending column that alternates suits is not a movable group. You can move its top card alone, but not the stack beneath it. This is why two-suit and four-suit tables require more planning than one-suit games.
Flipping face-down cards
When you move the last face-up card off a column, the next card underneath flips face up automatically. That flip is the main source of new information and new moves. A good habit is to look for a move that flips a hidden card before you consider dealing from the stock.
Dealing from the stock
Click the stock pile in the corner (or press Space) to deal one card onto each of the ten columns. The cards are dealt face up. You may only deal when every column has at least one card; if any column is empty, the stock is disabled.
There are five stock deals. Once they are gone, the table must be solved with what is visible. A deal is not a free reset: it adds ten cards that can bury the cards you were trying to reach.
Completing a run
When a column contains a same-suit sequence from King down to Ace, the sequence clears automatically. The cards move to the foundation, and the card underneath the sequence flips face up if it was face down. Eight completed sequences wins the game.
You do not need to move the King to a special slot. Form the run in a tableau column, and the game detects it. A run that is split across suits does not count, even if the ranks are correct.
Controls on this site
| Action | Desktop | Touch screen |
|---|---|---|
| Move a card or group | Drag it to another column | Tap it, then tap the destination column |
| Undo | Bottom-bar button or Z | Bottom-bar undo button |
| Hint | Bottom-bar button or H | Bottom-bar hint button |
| Deal | Click the stock or press Space | Tap the stock pile |
| New game | New game button | New game button in the bottom bar |
The settings dialog lets you change the card front, card back, felt colour, sound, and default difficulty. An unfinished game is saved locally, so a refresh or a closed tab does not automatically lose your progress.
A simple first game plan
- Scan for face-down columns. Identify which columns are closest to flipping a card and make those moves first.
- Keep low cards reachable. Aces and twos are easy to bury. Before covering one, check whether you can still reach it later.
- Open a column. Moving an entire column elsewhere creates an empty slot. Use it to relocate a King or a long run, then refill it deliberately.
- Deal late. Use stock deals when tableau moves run out or when a deal is likely to create a new completion, not just because the button is available.
- Use undo to learn. If you are unsure, try the move, inspect the result, and reverse it. There is no penalty.