Word Solitaire
The rules
Letter cards lie face up in 4 to 6 piles. Only the top card of a pile can be played.
To play a word, tap top cards in order until you have spelled a word of 3 to 8 letters, then press Play. The cards leave the table and the cards under them become playable. Newly uncovered cards only join in after you press Play, so each word comes from what is showing at that moment.
Any real word in the game’s word list counts, not only the hidden ones. To win the deal, clear every pile and every slot. A deal with empty piles but a card left in a slot is not finished.
Set-aside slots
Two slots sit under the table, and each one holds one card. To set a card aside, pick exactly one top card, then tap a free slot. This uncovers the card beneath it.
A card in a slot stays playable, so you can use it in any later word. The one thing it can’t do is go back on a pile, unless you use Undo.
Par and stars
Par is the number of words a deal was built from. Longer words let you beat it.
| Stars | How to earn them |
|---|---|
| 3 | Clear the deal in par or fewer words, without Peek |
| 2 | Clear it within par + 2 words |
| 1 | Clear it any other way |
Stars never block progress. They are there for players who enjoy a target, and you can ignore them entirely.
Undo, Peek and Back on track
The game has no timer, no lives and no fail state.
- Undo is free and unlimited. It takes back your last move, whether that was a word or a card set aside.
- Peek highlights the next step that keeps the table clearable: a word, or a card to set aside. It is free on the website, but a deal cleared with Peek cannot earn 3 stars.
- Back on track appears when no move is left, next to Undo. It returns you to the last table that can still be cleared.
Play one and Shuffle are features of the iOS app. On the website you will see them locked, with a Get the app link.
Keyboard controls
The website can be played with no mouse or touch at all. Type letters to pick cards, press Enter to play the word, and press Backspace to remove a letter. Tab moves you to the buttons.
Ten strategy tips
- Scan everything first. Read all the top cards and both slots before your first tap.
- Think in endings. If you can see an S, or an E and a D, try adding them to a shorter word.
- Find the vowels. The red letters tell you how many syllables the table can offer.
- Spend vowels with care. A word that uses several of them can leave you with consonants and nothing to join them.
- Go long when you can. Each extra letter is one less card for a later word, which helps you reach par.
- Take from the tall piles. Short piles run out by themselves. A tall one left until last limits your options.
- Keep one slot open. With both slots full, you lose your best way of reaching a buried letter.
- Park the awkward letter. A J or a Q in a slot uncovers a new card and can wait for the right word.
- Test ideas with Undo. Try a word, see what it uncovers, and take it back if you don’t like the result.
- Save Peek for last. Give yourself a little longer, because the word you find on your own can still earn 3 stars.
Ready for a deal? Start playing on the home page, or try the daily deal.