Play Stronghold Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Take Streets and Alleys, add one free cell, and use that single lifeline to unpick blocked rows and win about 65% of your games.

Stronghold Solitaire is Streets and Alleys with a lifeline. Thomas Warfield took the old open castle game — eight rows of face-up cards flanking four empty foundations — and added a single free cell. That one parking space transforms the game: sequences still have to be shuffled one card at a time, but the cell gives you the extra beat you need to unpick a blocked row.

Since every card is face up from the first move, there is no luck to blame once the deal is on the table. Medium difficulty here still nets you about 65% of games won. It is played with a single deck, and your odds of victory are determined almost entirely by your skill.

Streets and Alleys Solitaire, Beleaguered Castle Solitaire, and FreeCell are solitaire games that are comparable to this one.

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

Enjoy playing!

How to play Stronghold Solitaire

Layout:

4 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in the same suit. These piles start empty.

8 tableau piles: Build down regardless of suit. Only one card may be moved at a time. Any card can fill an empty space. At the start of the game, the first four piles are dealt seven cards each and the last four piles six cards each, all face-up.

1 cell: Each cell holds one card. It starts empty.

Foundation:

There are four foundation piles, all of which begin empty.

Any ace may be played to a vacant 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 6 of hearts is a 7 of hearts. There can be no more than 13 cards in a pile.

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

Cells:

There is one cell, which starts empty.

One card can be stored in the cell. Any available card can be played into it when it is vacant, and the cell card can be played back to the tableau or the foundation at any time.

Tableau:

Eight tableau piles laid out side by side: four dealt seven cards, four dealt six. Every card is dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower than the pile's current top card, regardless of suit, so any 7 fits on an 8 of spades.

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

Any card can fill an empty slot in the tableau.

Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences are not permitted.