How to Play Beleaguered Castle Solitaire
Beleaguered Castle is one of the great open solitaires: nothing is hidden, nothing is dealt later, so winning is purely a matter of planning. It is the ancestor of FreeCell, without the cells.
Layout
- The four aces start on the foundations, in a column down the middle.
- The other 48 cards are dealt face up into eight columns of six, four fanning out to the left of the aces and four to the right.
Play
- Only the end card of a column (the one furthest from the aces) may move.
- Move it onto a card one rank higher, of any suit, at the end of another column; or into an empty column; or up to its foundation.
- Foundations build up by suit, two, three, four … king.
- Win by building all four foundations to the king.
Playing on kawu
Tap an end card, then its destination; a card that can go up goes at once. Double-click sends a card to the best place. Hint suggests a move, Undo is unlimited, and Auto-complete appears when only foundation moves remain. The daily deal is the same for everyone.
Then read the Beleaguered Castle strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the aces start on the foundations?
That is the layout of the castle: the aces are the keep in the middle, besieged by four columns of cards on each side. It also means every foundation is ready to receive its two from the first move.
Can I move a run of cards together?
No. One card at a time, always the exposed end card of a column.
What can go into an empty column?
Any single card. Empty columns are the only free storage in the game, so they are precious.
Last updated 2026-10-21