Play Outback Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Build down by suit instead of switching colors, only kings crack open an empty pile, and a stingy 10% win rate keeps this two-deck challenge honest.

Thomas Warfield designed Outback Solitaire, a two-deck take on Australian Patience. You build down by suit instead of switching colors, so every tableau run stays strictly one-suited, and only kings can drop into an empty pile. Difficult is right: this one wins about 10% of the time, and getting there takes real skill along with some luck. It's played with two decks.

Adelaide Solitaire is Outback's closest relative and worth trying if you like this one.

Circle back to the classic Solitaire whenever you want the original.

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

Have fun playing!

How to play Outback Solitaire

Layout:

8 foundation piles: Build up from ace to king in the same suit.

8 tableau piles: Build down by suit. Cards can be moved in groups regardless of order. At the start of the game, each pile gets seven cards.

Stock: Click to turn over one card at a time to the waste pile. There are no redeals.

Waste: The top card can be played to the foundations or tableau.

Foundation:

There are eight foundation piles.

Any ace can be placed on 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 an eight of clubs is a nine of clubs. A pile holds at most 13 cards.

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

Tableau:

Eight tableau piles of seven cards 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 a six of hearts is a five of hearts.

Any tableau card that isn't covered by another card is free to move to the foundation or another tableau pile.

Only kings can fill an empty tableau space.

Any face-up tableau card, along with everything stacked on it, can move to another pile where it fits — even if the run being moved isn't in strict suit order.

Stock and waste:

The waste pile holds the cards dealt from the stock; whatever's left makes up the stock.

Click the stock to deal one card at a time to the waste. You get a single pass through the stock, with no redeals.

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