How to Play Spider Solitaire 4 Suits
Objective
Win by moving all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles. To do so, complete descending same-suit sequences (King to Ace) in the tableau. Once a full sequence is built, it’s automatically moved to a foundation pile.
Rules
Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is the most challenging version of the game. You’ll work with all four suits—clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades—which makes organizing sequences far more complex. Since only same-suit sequences can be moved together, careful planning is critical.
- Sequence cards in descending order regardless of suit. For example, a 9♥, 9♦, 9♠, or 9♣ can be placed on a 10♣.
- Only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group. For example, 9♠, 8♠, 7♠ can be moved together onto an 10♠, but 9♠, 8♦, 7♠ cannot be moved as one unit.
- Completed same-suit sequences from King to Ace are removed to the foundation automatically. You must complete all eight piles to win.
- Use the stockpile to deal one new row of cards to each column. Every column must have at least one card before you can deal. You can deal five times in total. When you deal from the stockpile, a card is added to the top of every column, which can break up sequences you’ve built, so time your deals carefully.”
- Any single card or legal sequence can be moved to an empty column.
If you run out of moves and the stockpile is exhausted before you complete the foundation piles, the game ends.
Tips and Strategies
- Keep suits separated whenever possible. Mixed-suit sequences are almost unavoidable in 4 Suits, but the more you can group cards by suit early, the easier it will be to complete full sequences later.
- Dedicate one or two columns for mixed-suit storage. Use these as “holding areas” for cards you need to move out of the way while uncovering or reorganizing other columns. This keeps the rest of your tableau cleaner for building long, same-suit runs.
- Prioritize uncovering hidden cards. Just like in 1 Suit and 2 Suits, revealing face-down cards gives you more flexibility and options.
- Clear columns as soon as you can. An empty column is your most valuable tool for reorganizing cards, especially in 4 Suits where long sequences are hard to build. Focusing on moving cards out of shorter stacks will help you clear columns faster.
- Plan several moves ahead. Because 4 Suits gives you fewer opportunities to move same-suit sequences, think through how each move affects your long-term options before playing it.
- Use the stockpile sparingly. New cards will disrupt every column, so make as much progress as possible before dealing a new row.
If you’re struggling to win Spider Solitaire 4 Suits, you can always practice your skills with the easier 2 Suits or 1 Suit or read up on Spider Solutaire strategies.