We doubt you’ve not played Freecell before, but just in case you haven’t – you should. It’s the most successful solo variation of Solitaire in the world for a reason. And we have a recommendation on exactly where you should go on desktop to play it.

But first, in case you’re in that rare camp that hasn’t played Freecell, here are the rules. You have 4 free cells at the top of the screen alongside 4 foundation piles.

The 52 cards that compile a deck are then divided into 8 piles across the tableau (screen in this case). Your aim is to move all those cards to the foundation spaces, in descending order from ace to king and alternating colours.

It is definitely more complicated to explain how the game works rather than playing it, which is pretty straightforward and intuitive – as with all great card games.

It’s very easy to fall into a pleasing trance when playing a round of Freecell, shuffling cards around until they fall perfectly into place.

Once you’re on the home straight of seeing the 4 foundation piles growing steadily it’s easy to understand why this is such a popular card game that has stood the test of time across physical and digital formats. 

Oh and the title Freecell is named as such because of the “free cells” that can be used as temporary storage spaces for cards. These are an essential part of any successful completion of a round. 

So if you fancy a round of Freecell there are plenty of places to go, but we’d recommend freecellonline.com – which is easy to navigate with several variations to choose from and no distracting ads. Which is always a bonus.