Sometimes you find yourself with a bit of downtime, maybe waiting for an appointment, winding down after a long day, or just seeking a quiet moment away from screens. A standard deck of 52 playing cards can be your best friend in these situations. Forget complicated rules or needing opponents; there are plenty of engaging card games designed for one player. These solo adventures, often lumped under the umbrella term “Patience” or “Solitaire,” offer a fantastic way to sharpen your mind, pass the time, and maybe even achieve that satisfying feeling of a win against the odds (and the shuffle).
Learning a few simple solo card games is easier than you might think. You don’t need complex strategies or hours of practice to get started. The beauty lies in their accessibility. Grab a deck, find a flat surface, and you’re ready to dive in. Let’s explore some popular and easy-to-learn options that can provide hours of entertainment.
Classic Solitaire (Klondike)
This is the game most people picture when they hear “Solitaire.” It’s the version famously included with computer operating systems for decades, and for good reason – it strikes a perfect balance between luck and strategy, making it endlessly replayable. Even if you’ve only ever clicked a mouse to play it, learning the physical version is straightforward.
Setting Up Klondike
Shuffle your 52-card deck well. Deal out seven piles of cards from left to right. The first pile has one card, the second has two, and so on, up to the seventh pile with seven cards. Only the top card of each pile should be face-up; the rest remain face-down. The remaining cards form the stockpile (or stock), which you place face-down above the piles.
How to Play Klondike
The goal is to move all 52 cards onto four “foundation” piles, one for each suit, starting with the Ace and building up sequentially to the King (Ace, 2, 3… King). These foundation piles are typically started above the main playing area (the tableau) as Aces become available.
You interact with the cards in a few ways:
- Moving cards within the tableau: You can move a face-up card (or a sequence of face-up cards) from one tableau pile onto another, but only if the receiving pile’s top card is one rank higher and of the opposite color. For example, you can place a red 7 (Heart or Diamond) onto a black 8 (Spade or Club).
- Turning over face-down cards: When you move the top face-up card from a tableau pile, if the card beneath it is face-down, you turn it face-up. This makes it available for play.
- Moving cards to foundations: If the top card of a tableau pile or the card revealed from the stock is an Ace, you can move it to start a foundation pile. Subsequently, you can move the next card in sequence for that suit (e.g., the 2 of Hearts onto the Ace of Hearts) onto the foundation pile from the tableau or the stock.
- Using the stockpile: When you run out of moves on the tableau, you draw cards from the stock. A common rule is to draw three cards at a time, placing them face-up in a waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play (either onto the tableau or a foundation). If you can’t play the top card, you draw the next three. If the stock runs out, you can typically turn the waste pile over (without shuffling) to form a new stock and go through it again (sometimes with limits on how many times you can do this). A simpler variation involves drawing one card at a time.
- Filling empty tableau spaces: If one of your seven tableau piles becomes completely empty, you can only fill that space with a King (or a sequence starting with a King).
You win if you successfully move all 52 cards onto the four foundation piles. If you get stuck with no possible moves left, even after going through the stock, the game is lost.
Playing solo card games like Klondike isn’t just about killing time. It can gently exercise cognitive skills such as planning, problem-solving, and attention. The simple act of shuffling and handling physical cards can also be quite relaxing. Remember, a standard deck has 52 cards divided into four suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) and 13 ranks (Ace, 2-10, Jack, Queen, King).
Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid offers a different kind of challenge compared to Klondike. It’s often faster-paced and relies more on quick calculation and identifying pairs. The visual setup itself is quite distinct.
Setting Up Pyramid
Shuffle the deck. Deal 28 cards face-up into a pyramid shape. Start with one card at the top, then a row of two cards overlapping the first, then a row of three overlapping the second, and so on, until you have a row of seven cards at the base. The remaining 24 cards form the stock, placed face-down to the side.
How to Play Pyramid
The goal is to remove all the cards from the pyramid. You do this by pairing up available cards that total 13. An “available” card is one that is not covered by any other card in the pyramid, or the top card of the stock/waste pile.
Card values are as follows:
- Ace = 1
- 2-10 = Face value
- Jack = 11
- Queen = 12
- King = 13
Since Kings equal 13 on their own, you can remove an available King without pairing it. Other pairs could be: Queen + Ace, Jack + 2, 10 + 3, 9 + 4, 8 + 5, 7 + 6.
Gameplay involves:
- Identifying pairs in the pyramid: Look for any two available cards in the pyramid that add up to 13. Remove them from the pyramid and set them aside. Removing cards may uncover other cards, making them available.
- Using the stock: If you can’t find any pairs in the pyramid, turn over the top card from the stock pile, placing it face-up to start a waste pile. This card can now be used to make a pair with an available card in the pyramid.
- Pairing stock/waste with pyramid: You can pair the top card of the waste pile with an available pyramid card.
- Pairing within the stock/waste (optional rule): Some variations allow pairing the top waste card with the newly drawn top stock card if they total 13. Check the rules you prefer to follow.
- Going through the stock: Continue drawing from the stock when no other moves are possible. If the stock runs out, depending on the rules you follow, you might be able to turn the waste pile over once to form a new stock, or the game might end if no more pairs can be made.
You win if you successfully remove all 28 cards from the pyramid structure. If you go through the stock (and any allowed resets) and can no longer make any pairs of 13, the game is blocked, and you lose.
Accordion Solitaire
Looking for something incredibly simple to set up but deceptively tricky to win? Accordion might be your game. It requires minimal space and involves a constant reshuffling of the layout as you play.
Setting Up Accordion
There’s almost no setup! Just shuffle the deck well. Start dealing cards face-up, one by one, in a single row from left to right. You don’t need to deal the whole deck out at once; you deal as you play.
How to Play Accordion
The goal is to end up with just one pile of cards containing the entire deck. As you deal cards, you look for opportunities to move cards (or piles) onto other cards (or piles) based on matching rank or suit.
Here’s the core mechanic:
- Look at the card you just dealt (or the top card of any pile on the table).
- Compare it to the card (or pile) immediately to its left.
- Compare it also to the card (or pile) three positions to its left.
- If the card (or top card of the pile) matches either the card immediately to its left OR the card three positions to its left in either suit or rank, you can move the card/pile on the right onto the matching card/pile on the left.
- When you make a move, a gap is created. This gap effectively closes up, meaning the piles to the right of the gap shift left, potentially creating new opportunities for matches with cards now one or three positions away.
- Continue dealing cards one by one, always checking for possible moves (onto the pile to the left or three piles to the left) after each deal and after each move you make. You should prioritize making moves whenever possible before dealing the next card.
Example: You deal … 7H, 5S, QD, 7C. The 7C matches the 7H by rank (three positions to the left). You move the 7C onto the 7H. The layout becomes … 7H (with 7C under it), 5S, QD. Now, check the QD. Does it match the 5S (left)? No. Does it match the 7H pile (three left)? No. Deal the next card.
You win if, after dealing all 52 cards and making all possible moves, you have consolidated everything into a single pile. Winning Accordion is notoriously difficult, relying heavily on the luck of the deal, so don’t be discouraged if it takes many tries!
Remember that solo card games are meant to be enjoyable diversions. Don’t get overly frustrated if you don’t win every time, especially with games like Accordion that have low win rates. The process of playing, strategizing, and focusing can be rewarding in itself. Feel free to adjust minor rules (like how many times you go through the stock in Klondike or Pyramid) to suit your preference.
These are just three examples of the many simple solo card games available. Others like Canfield, Spiderette (a simpler version of Spider Solitaire), or Clock Solitaire offer different mechanics and challenges. The key is finding one or two that resonate with you. Playing with physical cards offers a tactile experience that screen-based versions can’t replicate. It connects you to a long history of people finding quiet entertainment in a simple deck. So next time you have a quiet moment, shuffle up and deal yourself a hand – you might just find your new favorite pastime.
