Play Napoleon's Shoulder Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Build down regardless of suit, move one card at a time, and refill empty columns only from the waste in this looser two-deck take on Napoleon's Square.

Napoleon's Shoulder Solitaire loosens its twin Napoleon's Square Solitaire: you can build down regardless of suit here, though only one card moves at a time and only the waste can refill an empty column. It's played with two full decks.

Forty Thieves Solitaire is another two-deck game worth trying from the same family.

Once you've mastered the looser tableau, circle back to the original Solitaire and see how much tighter it plays.

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

Enjoy!

How to play Napoleon's Shoulder Solitaire

Layout:

8 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in the same suit.

12 tableau piles: Build down regardless of suit. Only single cards move, never sequences. Only a card from the waste can fill an empty pile. Each pile starts with four cards, all dealt face-up.

Stock: Click to turn over one card at a time to the waste pile. There are no redeals.

Waste: The top card can be played on the foundations or tableau.

Foundation:

There are eight foundation piles.

An ace on the foundation can move back to any empty tableau pile.

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 a 5 of clubs is the 6 of clubs. A pile holds at most 13 cards.

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

Tableau:

Twelve tableau piles of four cards each, all dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower than the pile's current top card, regardless of suit, so any jack of any suit fits on any queen.

Any uncovered tableau card is free to move to the foundation or any non-empty tableau pile.

Only a card from the waste can fill an empty tableau pile; cards from other tableau piles can't.

Only single cards move; sequences aren't allowed.

Stock and waste:

There's one waste pile; everything left over makes up the stock.

Click the stock to deal one card to the waste. You only get one pass through the stock.

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