Play Little Milligan Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

One tap of the stock drops a card on every one of seven tableau piles at once, no reserve and no redeal to bail you out. Only Kings fill an empty column.

Little Milligan Solitaire is the trim, single-deck cousin of Miss Milligan, the two-deck classic that has been keeping card players busy since the late nineteenth century. Where Miss Milligan spreads fifty-two cards across eight columns, Little Milligan pares everything back to one deck and seven slim tableau piles, so the whole game fits comfortably on a single screen.

The rhythm is the familiar one: build the foundations up in suit from the Aces, and build the tableau down in alternating colors. What gives Little Milligan its bite is the deal. Each tap of the stock drops one card onto every tableau pile at once, and there is no reserve to set awkward cards aside and no recycle to bail you out. When you run through the last of the stock, the final tap simply hands its three remaining cards to the leftmost piles.

Because empty columns accept only Kings, clearing a pile is both a prize and a commitment. Time the stock well, keep your color-runs flexible, and the deck unwinds into four tidy suits.

If you enjoy Little Milligan, try Milligan Harp Solitaire or Milligan Cell Solitaire, two larger takes on the same idea.

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

Enjoy playing!

How to play Little Milligan Solitaire

Layout:

4 foundation piles: Build up in suit from Ace to King. Cards that can go here are moved to the foundations automatically.

7 tableau piles: Each pile is dealt one face-up card to start. Build down in alternating colors, and move a whole run at once. Only Kings may be placed on an empty pile.

Stock: Click to deal one card onto every tableau pile at once. There are no redeals; the final deal drops its last three cards onto the leftmost piles.

Foundation:

There are four foundation piles, one for each suit.

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 the 5 of clubs is the 6 of clubs. A completed pile runs from Ace up to King, and eligible cards are sent up automatically.

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

Tableau:

Seven 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 opposite color of the pile's current top card, so the only cards that fit on the 8 of spades are the 7 of hearts and 7 of diamonds. Only a King may fill an empty tableau space.

Cards on the tableau that are not covered by another card can be played onto the foundation or another tableau pile.

A run of cards built in alternating colors can be moved together as one unit, as long as the pile underneath will accept the whole sequence.

Stock and waste:

There is no waste pile; the stock is dealt straight onto the tableau.

When you click the stock, one card is dealt to the top of every tableau pile. There's only one pass through the stock, and the final deal places its three remaining cards on the leftmost piles.