Play Baker’s Game Solitaire Online for Free

Baker’s Game, also called Bakers Game Solitaire, is the game FreeCell grew out of. It’s played the same way, with every card face up and four free cells, but the tableau builds down in suit instead of alternating colors, so each card has only one place to go. This makes Baker’s Game a harder FreeCell variation.

Baker’s Game Objective

Win Baker’s Game by moving all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each one up in suit from Ace to King.

All 52 cards are dealt face up into eight tableau columns, seven cards in each of the first four and six in each of the last four. Above the tableau are four empty free cells and four empty foundations. There’s no stockpile.

Fewer Baker’s Game deals can be won than FreeCell deals, so every deal here is one a computer has solved first. There’s always a way to win, but you still need to find it.

Baker’s Game Rules

• Build the foundations up in suit. Each foundation starts with an Ace and builds up to the King, such as the 2♠ on the A♠.
• Build down in the tableau in the same suit. A card can only go on the next-higher card of its own suit, so the 8♥ goes on the 9♥. This is the one difference from FreeCell.
• Use the four free cells. Each free cell holds one card, and any card at the bottom of a column can go into an empty one.
• Any card can go into an empty column. So can a run of cards in order and in the same suit.
• The number of cards you can move as a run depends on your open free cells and empty columns. You can move one card more than the number of open free cells, so with three open free cells you can move four cards. Each empty column doubles that number, as long as you aren’t moving the run into that empty column.
• Foundation cards can come back. You can drag the top card of a foundation back to the tableau, but it counts as a penalty.

The game is over when no card can move. Undo takes back a move, Hint points out a useful one, Restart replays the same deal, and New Game deals a fresh one.

Baker’s Game vs. FreeCell

Baker’s Game is the older game that FreeCell Solitaire grew out of. FreeCell changed one rule, building the tableau in alternating colors instead of in suit, and that one change made far more deals winnable.

In Baker’s Game each card has only one place to go in the tableau, instead of two. Runs are harder to build, so free cells and empty columns matter even more. If you’re used to FreeCell, watch for the habit of dropping a red card on a black one.

For a different twist on building in suit, try Eight Off, with eight free cells and Kings only in empty columns.

Tips and Strategies to Win Baker’s Game

• Free the Aces and 2s first. Low cards buried deep in a column hold up a whole suit, so dig them out early.
• Work toward an empty column. While a column stays empty, it doubles how long a run you can move from one column to another (but not into the empty column itself). Building in suit makes long runs rare, so an empty column is worth more here than in FreeCell.
• Keep free cells open. Every card you park in a free cell shrinks the runs you can move. Use them as stepping stones, not storage.
• Play cards to the foundations freely. Building in suit, the only card that could go on a card is the next-lower card of its suit, which is already on the foundation.