Scorpion Solitaire

How to play scorpion solitaire online

1. Open the Variant menu and choose Scorpion (King only) or Wasp (any card). Changing the variant starts a new game.
2. Find the reserve at the top left and the four foundation slots at the top right. Cards start on seven columns, and the bottom three cards of columns 1 to 4 are face down.
3. To move a card, drag a face-up card onto a column that lights up. You can also click or tap the card to send it to its legal destination.
4. If a card has no place to go, it shakes and says “No place for that card right now.”
5. When you are stuck, press Deal reserve once to place a face-up card on columns 1, 2 and 3.
6. Press Hint to see a suggested move. The cards and target are outlined in gold for 5 seconds.
7. Press Undo to take back any move, including the reserve deal.
8. Press Restart this deal to replay the current deal from the start, or New game for a new one.

With the board focused, the arrow keys choose a column and a card, and Enter or Space moves the chosen card. The D key deals the reserve, N starts a new game, U or Ctrl+Z undoes, H gives a hint and F turns on fullscreen. The Deal # number shown in the stats row is the seed for the deal. Opening the page with ?seed=NUMBER loads that exact deal, and adding &variant=scorpion or &variant=wasp picks the rules.

Scorpion solitaire rules

The game uses one standard 52-card deck with no jokers, and you play alone. The deal has seven columns of seven cards, which makes 49 cards, plus a reserve of three face-down cards. Columns 1 to 4 have their first three cards face down, while columns 5 to 7 are fully face up, so 12 cards start hidden.

Only the open end of a column can be used. That is the last card in the column, the one nothing covers. You may place a card on a card of the same suit that is exactly one rank higher, provided that card is the open end of another column. Colour does not matter, only suit. The 5 of spades goes on the 6 of spades, and the 5 of hearts does not. Aces are low, so an Ace goes on a 2, and a King goes on nothing.

How do you move cards in scorpion solitaire?

You can move any face-up card together with every card lying on it, in whatever order they sit. The group does not have to form a run. Face-down cards cannot be moved. When a face-down card becomes the last card of its column, it turns face up.

An empty column accepts only the cards your variant allows. In Scorpion, only a King can move into it, together with the cards on the King. In Wasp, any face-up card can. A column’s first card with nothing above it is never offered an empty column, because moving it would change nothing.

What is the reserve in scorpion solitaire?

The reserve is the pile of three face-down cards at the top left. Clicking it, pressing the “Deal reserve” button or pressing D places one face-up card on each of columns 1, 2 and 3. You can do this once per game, at any time, even when a move is still available or a column is empty. After that the button reads “Reserve used” and cannot be pressed again.

How do you win scorpion solitaire?

A completed run is the 13 cards from King down to Ace in one suit, all face up, anywhere in a column. When a column ends with such a run, those cards leave the column automatically and go to a foundation slot, so you never move them by hand. You win when all four suits are completed, which the game shows as “Runs 4/4” and a “You won!” overlay.

Scorpion solitaire strategy and tips: what should you do first?

Start by looking at which cards are face down, because each one that turns face up gives you a new card to move. A move that uncovers a hidden card is often a good first choice. Hint follows the same idea: it prefers completing a run, then moves that turn up a hidden card.

Be careful with empty columns. In Scorpion, an empty column can only take a King, so it is worth keeping one free for a King that has a long build on it. In Wasp, any card can fill it, which gives you more choice but can also use up a space you might need later.

Save the reserve for when you are stuck. You can deal it only once per game, and it adds a card to columns 1 to 3. Try a few moves first, because if the reserve deal does not help you can undo it.

Here is a move from Deal #4. The 2♣ at the bottom of column 7 has five cards on it (5♦ 4♠ J♥ J♦ 5♠), six cards in all. The whole group can move onto the 3♣ at the end of column 2, because both are the same suit and the 3♣ is one rank higher. That move leaves only the 4♣ in column 7.

Frequently asked questions

Is scorpion solitaire free, and do I need to sign up?

Yes. Scorpion Solitaire on this page is free, with no sign-up: you start playing straight from the board. Your progress is stored in your own browser and is not sent anywhere.

Can I play scorpion solitaire on a phone?

Yes. Dragging and tapping both work on touch screens. The seven columns fit the width of screens as narrow as 320 px without sideways scrolling, and the cards shrink to fit.

Is my scorpion solitaire game saved?

Yes, the game in progress is saved after every move in your browser and restored when you reload. This includes the time played, your undo history and the reserve. A won game is not kept, and a link with a different ?seed= number starts that deal instead.

Can I play the same deal again?

Yes. “Restart this deal” goes back to the start of the current deal number. A link with ?seed=NUMBER opens that exact deal at any time.

What does “No more moves” mean?

It appears only after the reserve has been dealt and no card can legally move. You can choose “Undo a move” to step back, “New game” to start over, or “Close” to keep looking at the board.

Does scorpion solitaire keep score?

No. There are no points, no best-time list and no move limit. The stats row shows Played, Won and Win % for each variant, and Win % shows “–” until you have played a game.

What is the difference between Scorpion and Wasp?

Only the empty-column rule differs. In Scorpion, only a King can move into an empty column. In Wasp, any face-up card can. The same deal number gives the same cards in both variants.

More games

• Spider Solitaire: another column-building card game, for when you want a larger version of this kind of challenge.
• Yukon Solitaire: a column game where you can move groups of cards, for a different take on the same style of play.
• Forty Thieves Solitaire: a longer patience game with more cards on the table, for when you want a bigger deal.
• FreeCell: a game where every card is visible from the start, for when you prefer working with full information.
• Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire game built around a waste pile and a stock, for a more familiar starting point.
• Crescent Solitaire: sixteen piles of six cards in a crescent around eight foundations.