Play Forty Thieves Solitaire Online for Free

Enjoy unlimited games of Forty Thieves Solitaire! Play the daily challenge, track your stats, and use hints and undos to win.

Forty Thieves Solitaire Objective

To win Forty Thieves, complete all eight foundation piles by building each suit in ascending order from ace to king.

Forty Thieves setup

Forty Thieves Solitaire Setup

Use two 52-card decks to set up Forty Thieves into four main gameplay areas:

  • Tableau: The tableau consists of ten columns with four face-up cards each. Cards are arranged in descending order by suit. Only the bottom card in each column is playable, and you may move only one card at a time.
  • Stockpile: The remaining 64 cards are placed facedown in the stockpile. You can only cycle through it once, flipping a single card at a time face up into the waste pile.
  • Waste pile: Only the top card is playable, either in the tableau or on a foundation. When it is played, the next card beneath it becomes available.
  • Foundation piles: Build the eight foundations piles above the tableau in ascending order (ace to king) by suit. You win after you complete all eight piles.
Forty Thieves rules

Forty Thieves Solitaire Rules

  • Sequence cards by suit in descending order in the tableau. For example, a 2♦ can be moved on top of a 3♦.
  • Build the eight foundation piles by suit in ascending order from ace to king. Each suit has two foundation piles, each starting with an ace and built up to king.
  • Move only one card at a time from the bottom of a column. Whether columns are sequenced or not, you cannot move groups of cards as a unit, only one card at a time.
  • Flip cards from the stockpile face up to the waste pile. Turn over one card at a time.
  • You only get one pass through the stockpile.
  • Use waste pile cards in the tableau or foundation piles. Only the top card of the waste pile can be played, but if played, it reveals another face-up, playable card.
  • Any card, regardless of rank, can be placed in an empty column. Because you can move any card to an empty column, the columns are useful to undo mismatched columns or to use for a long, suited sequence.

Forty Thieves Strategies

  • Plan ahead to free aces and start long sequences. Because you can only move one card at a time, you must make a plan to get to aces as well as move kings around so you can sequence cards, all without blocking the cards you need.
  • Prioritize emptying columns. Empty columns offer valuable space for play. You can use them to undo long columns, create long suited sequences, or to make quick swaps. So empty columns as often as possible, and try to keep one column constantly empty for the times you just need to move single cards or quickly rearrange sequences to get to valuable cards.
  • Focus on waste pile cards that build foundation piles early in the game. Your first impulse will be to scatter every usable waste pile card into tableau columns, but that works against you early in the game. It creates longer columns you have to undo to get to cards you need, which can get you stuck quickly. Instead, early on, use waste pile cards for foundation piles only. That gets cards out of the stockpile but also prevents them from cluttering your tableau.
  • Create short sequences in mismatched tableau columns. When arranging cards in the tableau, you keep your columns more fluid by only making shorter sequences of four of fewer cards. This keeps you focused on moving cards around and uncovering more playable cards. Longer sequences end up blocking cards from play because you can only move a single card at a time.
  • Attack the waste pile midway through the game. Although you should leave waste pile cards alone early on in the game to maximize tableau space, as the game progresses, you should be able to start leaning into the waste pile more to sequence cards and move them to the foundation piles. You're bound to have low-ranking cards buried in the waste pile, so timing your use of it is important so you can get them into play.

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