Play Criss Cross Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)
Clear the deck two cards at a time by pairing matching ranks from just four table cards and the stock, one pass, and wins are rare.
Criss Cross Solitaire strips the pairing branch of the solitaire family down to its bare essentials. Only four cards lie on the table at any moment, flanked by the stock and a waste pile, and the entire deck is whittled away two cards at a time: any two playable cards of the same rank may be removed together.
The stock does double duty and gives the game its rhythm. Its top card is always face up, so you may either pair it directly with a matching card or click it away to the waste in search of something better. The four table cards, meanwhile, look after themselves — the moment one of them is paired off, the top card of the stock slides in to take its place automatically.
There is only one pass through the stock and no building of any kind, so every decision is small but final. The game is difficult, and wins are uncommon. Play enough deals with this single deck and you'll see luck decide most of them, not strategy.
If the quick pairing puzzle grabbed you, Simple Pairs Solitaire and Nestor Solitaire chase the same idea.
Criss Cross moves fast and ends quick; the classic Solitaire gives you more room to think.
If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.
Enjoy playing!
How to play Criss Cross Solitaire
Layout:
4 tableau piles: One face-up card each. Pair a card with any other playable card of the same rank to remove both from the game. Emptied piles are refilled automatically with the top card of the stock.
Stock: The top card is face up and may be paired directly. Click the stock to deal the top card to the waste instead. There are no redeals.
Waste: The top card is playable and may be paired with any matching card.
Tableau:
Four tableau piles of one card each. Every card is dealt face-up.
No cards may ever be placed on a tableau pile — there is no building in this game. A tableau card leaves play only by being paired: it may be removed together with any other playable card of the same rank, whether that card sits on another tableau pile, on top of the waste, or face up on the stock.
The moment a tableau pile is emptied, it is refilled automatically with the top card of the stock. Once the stock runs out, emptied piles stay empty for the rest of the game.
Stock and waste:
The forty-eight cards left over after the deal form the stock, and its top card is turned face up.
The face-up top card of the stock is itself playable — it may be paired with any matching card without being dealt first. Clicking the stock instead sends the top card to the waste. There is only one pass through the stock.
The top card of the waste is playable and may be paired with any matching card. Removing it frees the card beneath.
You win by removing all 52 cards in pairs of the same rank; the game is lost when the stock is empty and no two playable cards match.
