Forty Thieves Solitaire

Forty Thieves is a one-player solitaire game for two standard decks, 104 cards in total. You win by moving every card onto eight foundation piles, building each pile up by suit from Ace to King. This page lets you play Forty Thieves for free in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. The game is also known as Napoleon at St Helena.

The layout is set up before you start. Ten columns of four face-up cards form the tableau, and the other 64 cards make up the stock. You can choose whether one card or a run of same-suit cards moves at a time, and whether the stock passes once or twice. Hints, unlimited undo, and an option to auto-move safe cards to the foundations help when you get stuck.

Not every deal can be won. Each deal has a number, so you can replay or share it.

How to play forty thieves solitaire online

1. Click New game (or press N) to start a fresh deal. The deal number appears in the stats row.
2. Open the Move menu and pick One card (classic) or Sequences (free columns). Changing this starts a new game.
3. Open the Stock passes menu and pick 1 pass (classic) or 2 passes. This also starts a new game.
4. Set Auto-move to foundations to on or off. Changing this does not start a new game.
5. To move a card, click it, and the game sends it to the best legal place. To choose a different place, click the same card again within 5 seconds. You can also drag any movable card or run onto a column or a foundation pile.
6. Click the stock to deal one card onto the waste pile. When the stock is empty and a second pass is allowed, click the turn-over symbol to turn the waste over.
7. Watch the Foundations count in the stats row. It shows how many of the 104 cards are on the foundations.
8. If you get stuck, click Hint (or press H) to see a suggested move. Click Undo (or press U, or Ctrl/Cmd+Z) to step back, as far as the start of the deal.

You can play with the keyboard too. Tab to the board, move the cursor with the arrow keys, press Enter to send a card to its best place, or Space to pick it up and drop it. D deals from the stock.

How do you play forty thieves solitaire?

You play by building cards in two places. The tableau has 10 columns of 4 face-up cards, and the stock holds the other 64 cards, face down. Your aim is to move all 104 cards onto the 8 foundations, two for each suit, arranged in a row as spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, then again.

Each foundation builds up by suit from Ace to King. An Ace goes on the first empty foundation pile of its suit. Any other card goes on the pile of its suit whose top card is one rank lower. Once a card is on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau.

In the tableau, cards build down by suit, not by colour. A card may go on a card of the same suit that is exactly one rank higher. For example, the 6 of spades can go on the 7 of spades.

What are the forty thieves solitaire rules for empty columns and runs?

An empty column is a valuable space. Any single card can go into an empty column, and so can a run of cards. You cannot move a whole column onto an empty column, because that would only swap them.

The Move setting decides what can move together. With One card (classic), only the top card of a column moves. With Sequences (free columns), a run of same-suit cards in descending order, such as 9-8-7-6 of spades, can move as one unit. The longest run you can move depends on how many columns are empty:

• No empty columns: 1 card
• 1 empty column: 2 cards
• 2 empty columns: 4 cards
• 3 empty columns: 8 cards

The empty column you are moving into does not count. A run never goes to a foundation. Only single cards go there.

How do the stock and waste work in forty thieves solitaire?

Each deal moves one card from the stock to the waste pile. The top waste card is playable, either onto a foundation or onto a column. You cannot play the cards underneath it until it is moved.

With 1 pass (classic), the stock is used up once and is not turned over. With 2 passes, the waste is turned over once when the stock runs out, and you go through the cards in the same order again. That gives you a second chance at cards you skipped.

Can you lose at forty thieves solitaire?

There is no losing condition. You win when all 104 cards are on the foundations. If you reach a dead end, the game shows a “No more moves” overlay. That happens when the stock cannot be dealt or turned over, and a search of every position reachable by moving cards finds no way to add another card to a foundation. From the overlay you can undo, start a new game, or close it and keep looking.

The search is cautious. If it is too large to finish, it assumes moves are still possible, so the overlay can appear late but never wrongly. Some deals cannot be won at all, because they are random.

What are good forty thieves solitaire strategy and tips?

• Count your empty columns. With Sequences on, each empty column doubles the longest run you can move, so clearing a column can open up a lot of moves. Fill an empty column only with a purpose.
• Look under each card. A card on top of a column is the only one you can move. Ask which card you need to reach, and what is covering it.
• Keep the foundations in mind. A card on a foundation can never come back. Auto-move only sends a card when it is safe: an Ace or 2, or when the other pile of its suit already holds the rank below. Turn it off if you want to decide for yourself when a card goes up.
• Use undo to test ideas. Undo goes back as far as the start of the deal, so you can try a line and step back if it leads nowhere.
• Use the stock wisely. Cards you skip on the first pass are only available again if you have two passes. With one pass, a card you leave in the waste can be lost.

Frequently asked questions

Is forty thieves solitaire free to play?

Yes. Forty Thieves is free to play on this page, with nothing to download.

Do I need to sign up to play?

You can start a game straight away on this page. Your game and settings are kept in your own browser, not in an account.

Can I play forty thieves solitaire on a phone?

Yes. Touch works the same as the mouse: tap a card to move it to its best place, or drag it onto a column or foundation. Cards are about 31 px wide on a 375 px phone and 26 px wide on a 320 px phone. Column cards overlap more as a column gets longer.

Is my game saved if I close the tab?

Yes, in the same browser. Your game is saved after every move and when the tab is hidden or closed. When you reload the page, the game is restored with its timer. Your saved game and stats are kept only on that device and browser.

Does every forty thieves deal have a solution?

No. Deals are random, and not all of them can be won. If you reach a dead end, the “No more moves” overlay appears, and you can undo or start a new game.

Is there a score in forty thieves solitaire?

There is no score or points. The game counts your moves and time, and shows your best time for each setting in the win overlay. Deals count as moves, but automatic foundation moves do not.

Can I replay the same deal?

Yes. Each deal has a number, and the same number with the same options always gives the same deal. Open the address with ?seed= and the deal number to play it again.

More games

• Spider Solitaire: a solitaire game that builds cards down by suit, for players who like suit-based runs.
• FreeCell: a solitaire game with open cell spaces, for players who want more control over their cards.
• Scorpion Solitaire: a solitaire game that also builds cards down in the tableau, for a different take on columns.
• Yukon Solitaire: a solitaire game where you can move stacks of cards, for players who like building in columns.
• Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire game with a stock and waste, for players who want a familiar start.
• Canfield Solitaire: a solitaire game with a reserve pile, for players who enjoy planning ahead.
• Crescent Solitaire: a solitaire game with a crescent-shaped layout, for players who want a new board to solve.