Rocket Spider: Spider Solitaire

What is Rocket Spider?

Spider Solitaire is the two-deck patience game where you untangle ten columns of cards into perfect runs from king down to ace. Rocket Spider plays it the classic way, with 104 cards, ten columns and a stock that deals a fresh card onto every column, and lets you pick how hard it is: 1 suit for a relaxed game, 2 suits for a real puzzle, or all 4 suits for the full challenge.

Every complete run flies off to the foundation, and clearing all eight wins. Turn on Winnable deals only and every random deal is one our solver has already won, so a loss is never the cards' fault. There's a new daily deal each day with a streak to keep and a leaderboard for the fewest moves, plus numbered deals you can share, hints that show the best move, unlimited undo and auto-finish. Your game, stats and unlocked card backs are saved on your device.

How to play Rocket Spider

1. Goal: build eight runs from king down to ace, each in a single suit. A finished run leaves the table on its own; clear all eight to win.
2. Any card can go onto a card one rank higher, of any suit: a 7 on any 8. An empty column takes any card or same-suit run, kings included.
3. Several cards move together only when they're in order and of the same suit. Mixed-suit sequences have to be taken apart one run at a time.
4. When you're out of moves, tap the stock to deal one card onto every column. Every column needs at least one card before you can deal.
5. Drag cards with a mouse or finger, or tap a card to send it to its best spot; tap it again to try the next spot. Undo is unlimited, and Hint shows a strong move (2 hints a deal with 1 suit, 1 with 2 suits, none with 4).

Rocket Spider tips and strategy

• Turn over face-down cards first: every hidden card you reveal gives you more choices.
• Build in suit whenever you can. A same-suit run can move as one piece; a mixed run is stuck where it is.
• An empty column is your most valuable space. Use it to rearrange runs, then fill it again before you deal.
• Before dealing from the stock, tidy up: move cards so the new row lands on as few good runs as possible.
• Kings can only move into empty columns, so dig them out early and give each one a column of its own.
• New to Spider? Start with 1 suit and Winnable deals only, then move to 2 suits once you win most games.

Spider Solitaire rules

Spider uses two standard decks. Fifty-four cards are dealt into ten columns: the first four columns get six cards and the other six get five, with only the top card of each column face up. The other fifty cards form the stock, which deals five times, ten cards at a time, one onto each column. With 1 suit every card is a spade, with 2 suits the deck is spades and hearts, and with 4 suits it's a normal pair of decks.

A card can be placed on a card exactly one rank higher, whatever its suit, and any card or same-suit run can go into an empty column. When a face-down card is uncovered it turns face up. A complete run of thirteen cards of one suit, king to ace, is removed to the foundation. You win when all eight runs are complete. Under the standard rule you can only deal when no column is empty; the relaxed option in Settings lifts that rule for a gentler game, but relaxed games don't go on the leaderboards.

Winnable deals, numbered deals and the daily deal

Every deal has a number, so you can replay a deal or challenge a friend to the same one. Not every Spider deal can be won, especially with four suits, so Rocket Spider has a solver: a program that plays each deal with full knowledge of the hidden cards and keeps only the ones it can win. With Winnable deals only on, random games come from that list, and the daily deal always does.

The daily deal is the same for everyone on a given day, in each suit count. Win it to grow your daily streak, and see how your move count compares on the day's leaderboard, where fewer moves rank higher and the faster time breaks a tie.

Rocket Spider FAQ