FreeCell

• Shuffle then deal the 52 cards face up in 8 columns with each card visible but only the end card of each column fully exposed. Four columns will have 6 cards, four only 7.
• Apart from the columns, there are four single card free cells and four suit piles (foundations). The objective is to get all the cards into the foundations.
• Single exposed cards may be moved:
  • Column to column, placing the card on a card of the next rank and different colour suit. (E.G. Place a red 3 on a black 4.) (Aces are low.)
  • Column to freecell, any exposed card as long as there is an empty cell.
  • Freecell to Column, as column to column.
  • Column to suit home pile. Next card in order, starting with the Ace, ending with the King. Each suit is completely independent.
  • Freecell to suit home pile. As column to suit home pile.

This game appeared as a test program for a version of 32-bit Windows. The computer game allows you to move several cards from the top of a stack, provided such a move could be done by several moves where only the top card is moved. When a win is inevitable the computer game will move the cards onto the suit home piles automatically. In this program there are 32,000 numbered deals of which 11,982 are insoluble.

The terms in italics are defined in solitaire terminology.