How to play
Spider is played with two decks, 104 cards in all. The goal is to build eight complete runs, each going from King down to Ace in a single suit. A finished run is cleared off the table automatically.
The game starts with ten columns. The first four get six cards, the other six get five, and only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 50 cards stay in the stock at the bottom right.
- Stacking. Any card can go on a card one rank higher, whatever the suit: a 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades.
- Moving groups. Only a run in one suit can be moved together. A 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ moves as a group; a 9♠ 8♥ 7♠ has to be taken apart one card at a time.
- Empty columns. Any card or single-suit run can go into an empty column.
- Face-down cards. When the last face-up card leaves a column, the card underneath turns over.
- Dealing. Tap the stock to deal one new card onto every column. You get five deals. Every column needs at least one card before you can deal.
Tap a face-up card to move it, together with the cards on top of it, to the best available spot. A card of the same suit is preferred, then any card one rank higher, then an empty column.
Difficulty. With 1 suit every card is a spade, so every stack can be moved as a group. 2 suits mixes spades and hearts. 4 suits uses all four suits and is much harder.
Strategy
Build in suit whenever you can. A mixed stack like 8♠ on 9♥ is fine as a temporary step, but you can’t move it as one piece later. When you have a choice between two cards to put a card on, pick the one that matches its suit.
Uncover the columns with the most face-down cards. That’s where the cards you need are hidden. A move that turns over a card is usually better than one that doesn’t.
Treat empty columns as tools. An empty column lets you take a mixed stack apart and rebuild it in suit. Don’t fill one with a single card unless it helps you right away.
Get ready before you deal. A deal drops a card on every column and can cover a stack you were building. Before tapping the stock, make every move that tidies a column, and try to have a spare empty column’s worth of options.
Kings are the hardest cards to place. A King can only move to an empty column, so a King sitting on top of face-down cards can block a column for a long time. Plan an empty column for it.
Try a variation. Klondike is the classic one-deck solitaire with a draw pile, and FreeCell deals every card face up, so almost every game can be won with a good plan.
If you enjoy Spider Solitaire, try TriPeaks Solitaire or Vegas Solitaire next.
