Spider Solitaire: How Many Suits Should a Beginner Pick?

Spider has three difficulty settings: 1, 2 or 4 suits. The rules are the same in all three, but the number of suits changes how hard the game is by a lot. Here is how to choose.

Start with 1 suit

With one suit every descending run can be moved as a unit, so you never get stuck with a stack that will not move. It is a relaxed game and the best way to learn how the stock, the empty columns and the finished runs work.

Move up to 2 suits

The second suit brings mixed stacks, which cannot be moved as a whole. You now have to keep suits together where you can, and deals take real planning. Switch when 1 suit feels easy.

4 suits is a different game

With four suits you must connect cards of the right suit from the start, and a single wrong stack can block many moves. It is the hardest mode, and our solver could prove only a small share of 4-suit deals winnable, so new 4-suit games come from a small set and you may see the same deal again.

Change the mode from the toolbar or the menu; a new game starts. For the figures, see Spider 1, 2 and 4 suits compared; for tactics, the Spider strategy guide. If you want a shorter game, try Spiderette.

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