Yukon Solitaire

How to play Yukon Solitaire

Yukon is a close cousin of classic Klondike Solitaire, but there is no stock to draw from. All 52 cards are dealt at the start into seven columns. The first column has a single card. The other columns have one to six cards face down, with five face-up cards on top. Above the columns are four empty foundations.

Goal

Move all 52 cards to the foundations. Each foundation holds one suit, built up from Ace to King.

Turn by turn

1. Pick any face-up card in a column, even one deep in the pile. All the cards on top of it move with it, even if they are not in order. This is what makes Yukon special.
2. Put the card you picked on a card that is one rank higher and of the other colour. A red 8 can go on a black 9, together with whatever sits on the 8.
3. When the last face-up card of a column is moved away, the face-down card below turns over.
4. Only a King can go into an empty column. It brings all the cards on top of it.
5. Move the top card of a column to its foundation when it is the next card for that suit. Aces and 2s go up by themselves.

Playing on this site

Drag a card to move it, or tap it and then tap where it should go. Double-tap a card to send it to the best place. Hint shows a useful move, and Undo has no limit. When every card is face up and the rest can go home, an Auto-finish button appears. You can also play with the keyboard: arrow keys to move, Enter to pick up and drop, H for a hint.

End of the game

You win when all four foundations reach the King. If no move is left, the status bar tells you. Use Undo to try another path, or start a new deal. Most Yukon deals can be won with careful play.

Strategy tips

• Dig for hidden cards. The right-hand columns hide the most cards. Moves that turn a card face up are worth more than anything else.
• Use the big moves. You can lift a card from the middle of a pile. Look at every face-up card, not just the top ones, for a place to go.
• Plan for empty columns. Only a King can fill a space. Before you empty a column, check that a King is ready to move in, ideally one with cards to free under it.
• Don't rush cards home. A black 5 on a foundation can no longer hold a red 4 in the columns. Send low cards up freely, but keep middle cards in play while you still need them.
• Watch for buried same-suit cards. If a low card lies under a higher card of its own suit in a face-down pile, open that column early.