Windows XP in a Nutshell

Name

FreeCell — \windows\system32\freecell.exe

Synopsis

A solitaire card game, considered by many users to the more addictive than traditional Solitaire (Klondike).

To Open

Start → Programs → Games → FreeCell

Command Prompt → freecell

Description

FreeCell is a solitaire card game (see Figure 4-38), but is played differently from the traditional Klondike game (see Solitaire, later in this chapter). The object of the game is to move all the cards to the home cells.

Figure 4-38. Some people buy their computers just to get the FreeCell game

Like Klondike, cards are rearranged by placing cards of descending value and alternating color (the 4 of clubs can be placed on the 5 of hearts or the 5 of diamonds). Click a card to highlight it and click another card to move the highlighted card. Multiple cards can be moved, but only those that are arranged accordingly. Cards can also be moved to one of the four “free cells,” temporary storage slots that fill up fast.

FreeCell is somewhat like a cross between Klondike and the Towers of Hanoi puzzle.

Notes

In FreeCell, cards are not dealt randomly. Rather, there are 32,000 distinct numbered games, each representing a different predetermined deal of the cards. According to the help, “It is believed (although not proven) that every game is winnable.” In fact, it has been proven that game #11982 is indeed not winnable.

See also

Solitaire, Spider Solitaire ...