Klondike vs Spider
Klondike and Spider are the two solitaires most people meet first, and they reward different habits. Klondike uses one deck: you build down in alternating colours on seven columns and move cards up to four foundations as soon as they are free.
Spider uses two decks across ten columns. You may stack any card on one a rank higher regardless of suit, but only a same-suit run moves as a unit, and a column is only cleared when a complete King-to-Ace run of one suit is built and removed. Choosing 1, 2 or 4 suits sets the difficulty.
Side by side
| Klondike | Spider | |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | The classic solitaire: build four foundations from Ace to King. | Build eight complete King-to-Ace runs in the same suit. |
| Players | 1 | 1 |
| Family | Solitaire | Solitaire |
| Type | Solitaire | Solitaire |
| Options | Cards per draw: Draw one or Draw three | Suits: 1 suit or 2 suits or 4 suits |
| Online turn timer | — | — |
The differences that matter
- Decks: Klondike is a single 52-card deck; Spider plays two decks dealt into ten columns.
- Building: Klondike builds down in alternating colours; Spider builds down regardless of suit but only moves same-suit runs.
- Foundations: Klondike sends cards up one at a time from Ace to King; Spider removes whole King-to-Ace runs, eight of them to win.
- Stock: Klondike turns stock cards onto a waste pile; Spider deals one new card onto every column at once.
- Difficulty: Klondike offers draw 1 or draw 3; Spider offers 1, 2 or 4 suits, and four-suit Spider is one of the hardest common solitaires.
Which should you play?
Choose Klondike if you want a quick game with a familiar rhythm that you can finish in a few minutes.
Choose Spider if you like longer sessions and untangling messy columns into clean runs, starting with one suit and working up.
How to play Klondike
Build the four foundation piles up by suit from Ace to King.
On the tableau, build down in alternating colours. Only a King (or a run starting with a King) may fill an empty column.
Click the stock to turn cards onto the waste; the top waste card can be played. When the stock is empty you may turn the waste over again, a limited number of times.
Face-down cards are turned up when uncovered. The game ends when all cards are on the foundations or no moves remain.
How to play Spider
Build descending sequences on the ten columns. Any card can go on a card one rank higher, regardless of suit.
Only a run of the same suit in descending order can be moved together.
When a full run from King down to Ace of one suit is built, it is removed to the foundation.
Click the stock to deal one card onto each column.
Remove all eight runs to win. Choose 1, 2 or 4 suits for easier or harder games.