Play Busy Aces Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Twelve columns start with just one card each; build down within a single suit while any card fills an empty spot. Two decks, 65% win rate, luck over skill.

Busy Aces Solitaire is a simple game that goes back to 1939. Its twelve tableau piles start with just one card each, so you'll have plenty of empty spots to work with early on.

Its closest relative is Deuces Solitaire. Thomas Warfield built a whole numbered family on the same idea, running from Three's Company up through Jacks in the Box, though I haven't built all of them yet. Busy Aces itself is medium difficulty, with a 65% chance of winning, played with two decks, and luck plays a bigger role than skill.

Beyond Deuces, the family runs through Fours Up, Penta, Sixes and Sevens, Eights Down, Cast Out Nines, Dimes Solitaire, and Jacks in the Box. Courtyard Solitaire is a near-twin that changes only how empty columns get refilled.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Enjoy the game!

How to play Busy Aces Solitaire

Layout:

8 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in the same suit.

12 tableau piles: Build down in the same suit. Only the exposed top card of each pile is available for play, and any card can fill an empty pile. Each pile starts with one card.

Stock: Click to deal 1 card at a time to the waste. There are no redeals.

Waste: Top card available for play from waste.

Foundation:

There are eight foundation piles.

Any ace can start an empty foundation pile.

A card can be added to a foundation pile only if it's one rank higher and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on a 10 of diamonds is a J of diamonds. A pile holds at most 13 cards.

The top card of each foundation can be moved back into play if another pile will accept it.

Tableau:

Twelve tableau piles of one card each, all dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on an 8 of hearts is a 7 of hearts.

Cards on the tableau that are not covered by another card are free to be played onto the foundation or any other tableau pile.

Any card can fill an empty slot in the tableau.

Officially only one card moves at a time, but supermoves let you drag a whole run at once whenever you have enough empty columns to do it one card at a time anyway.

Stock and waste:

There's one waste pile, and the remaining cards make up the stock.

Clicking the stock deals one card to the waste. You get only one pass through the stock.

The top waste card can be played to the tableau or foundation.