How to play Baker's Game
Baker's Game is FreeCell with one change: columns build down by the same suit instead of alternating colors. All 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight columns, four free cells hold one card each, and you win by building the four foundations up by suit from Ace to King.
The rules in short
- All 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight columns: four columns of seven cards and four of six.
- Build columns down by the same suit: the 7 of spades goes on the 8 of spades, never on the 8 of clubs.
- Move one card at a time, from the top of a column or from a free cell.
- Each of the four free cells holds one card. Any card can go into an empty column.
- Build each foundation up by suit from Ace to King. You win when all 52 cards are on the foundations.
Tips
- Keep at least one free cell open. When all four are full, most deals stall.
- Work toward an empty column. It holds a whole sequence where a free cell holds one card.
- Find the buried Aces and twos first and plan the moves that uncover them before anything else.
Questions
How is Baker's Game different from FreeCell?
Only in how columns are built: same suit in Baker's Game, alternating colors in FreeCell. That leaves fewer legal moves, so Baker's Game is harder.
Can every Baker's Game deal be won?
No. More deals are unwinnable than in FreeCell, so careful planning matters more and a loss is often the deal, not a mistake.
Can I move several cards together?
Not on this board: cards move one at a time. To shift a run, stage it through the free cells and empty columns.
Read the full Baker's Game rules →