Play Acme Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Build strictly one suit at a time, move only single cards, and get just two passes through the stock. This tougher Canfield spinoff wins just 15% of the time.

A tougher Canfield Solitaire variation: you build in a single suit, can't move sequences at all, and get only two passes through the stock. The name is part of the joke — "Acme," the Greek word for zenith, used to be a favorite name for companies chasing the first listing in the phone book, before the Road Runner cartoons made it famous for something else. It's difficult, with a 15% chance of winning. You play it with a single deck, and your odds come down mostly to skill.

Coyote Solitaire is the closest relative, built directly on these same rules with a couple of mercies added.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Have fun!

How to play Acme Solitaire

Layout:

4 foundation piles: Build up from Aces to Kings in the same suit. The Aces are dealt at the start of the game.

4 tableau piles: Built down in suit. Only one card can be moved at a time. Empty spaces aren't refilled automatically — fill them with any card whenever you're ready. At the start of the game, each pile is dealt one card.

Stock: Click to flip over 1 card at a time. There is one redeal.

Waste: Top card is always accessible for play on the tableau or foundations.

Reserve: The top card is always ready for use on the tableau or the foundations. 13 cards are dealt here at the start of the game.

Foundation:

There are four foundation piles.

Each foundation pile is handed an ace at the start.

A card can be added to a foundation pile only if it's one rank higher and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on an 8 of hearts is a 9 of hearts.

The top card of each foundation can be moved back into play if another pile will accept it.

Reserve:

There is one reserve pile, which originally contains thirteen cards. The top card in the pile is dealt face-up, while the remaining cards are dealt face-down. There are no cards that can be moved into the reserve. The reserve's top card can be played to the tableau or the foundation.

Tableau:

Four tableau piles of one card each. Every card is dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on an 8 of hearts is a 7 of hearts.

Cards on the tableau that are not covered by another card are free to be played onto the foundation or any other tableau pile.

Empty tableau spots aren't filled automatically. You can move any card there whenever you're ready.

Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences are not permitted.

Stock and waste:

There is one waste pile and the remaining cards comprise the stock.

When you click on the stock, one card from the stock is dealt to the waste. There are two passes through the stock allowed.

The top waste card can be played to the tableau or foundation.