Play Forty Thieves Solitaire Free Online
Forty Thieves Solitaire
Forty Thieves is a two-deck solitaire game that lives up to its reputation as one of the hardest patience games. Deal 40 cards across ten columns of four, all face-up. Build tableau sequences in same-suit descending order, moving only one card at a time. Eight foundation piles must be filled from Ace to King. With a win rate around 10%, every successful game is a genuine achievement.
How to Play Forty Thieves Solitaire
Layout
40 cards are dealt face-up into 10 tableau columns of 4 cards each. The remaining 64 cards (2 decks = 104 total) form the stock pile. Eight empty foundation piles sit at the top.
Objective
Move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles (two per suit), building each from Ace to King.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Only the top card of each tableau column is playable — you can only move one card at a time.
- Build tableau columns in descending order by the same suit (e.g. 5♥ on 6♥).
- Move Aces to foundations, then build up by suit (Ace, 2, 3 … King).
- Click the stock pile to draw one card at a time to the waste pile.
- Play the top waste card onto tableau columns or foundations.
- Empty columns can be filled with any single card — they are extremely valuable.
- With 2 decks, there are 8 foundation piles (two for each suit). Win when all 8 are complete.
Guides & Strategy
Read our in-depth guides to master the rules and improve your win rate.
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Learn how to play Forty Thieves Solitaire with complete rules, setup, and expert strategies. A challenging two-deck game with a ~10% win rate.
Forty Thieves Variations
Forty Thieves Classichard
Play Forty Thieves Classic - the original and most challenging version with strict same-suit building rules.
Thieves of Egyptmedium
Play Thieves of Egypt Solitaire - a Forty Thieves variant with relaxed rules allowing limited redeals.
Josephinemedium
Play Josephine Solitaire - a Forty Thieves variation allowing sequence moves, making it significantly easier.
Josephine
Play Josephine Solitaire online for free — a Forty Thieves variant.
Limited
Play Limited Solitaire online for free — a Forty Thieves variant.
Napoleon
Play Napoleon Solitaire online for free — a Forty Thieves variant.
Why Play Forty Thieves Solitaire Online?
Forty Thieves is a two-deck solitaire classic known for its punishing difficulty. With strict single-card movement and limited tableau building, it demands precise planning. Winning rates hover around 10%, making every victory feel earned.
Game Features
- Two Full Decks — 104 cards across 10 columns for maximum complexity
- Same-Suit Building — Strict suit matching on the tableau
- Unlimited Undo — Critical for planning multi-step single-card sequences
- Smart Hints — Identifies optimal card placements in a complex layout
- Statistics Tracking — Track your progress against the ~10% win rate
- No Registration — Jump straight into the challenge without signing up
Forty Thieves Tips and Strategies
Empty columns are your lifeline — they're the only way to maneuver with single-card movement. Build foundations evenly to avoid blocking needed cards. Watch the waste pile carefully; cards buried there may never resurface. Same-suit building is strict, so prioritize consolidating suits into fewer columns.
Forty Thieves Solitaire Rules
Scoring System
Forty Thieves scores 10 points for each card moved to a foundation. With 104 cards across two decks, the maximum foundation score is 1,040. The strict single-card movement means every successful foundation placement is hard-earned.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The critical Forty Thieves mistake is playing too aggressively from the tableau. With only one card drawn at a time from the stock and strict single-card movement rules, every move must be calculated. Empty columns are extremely valuable — don't fill them without a clear plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Forty Thieves Solitaire.
Why is Forty Thieves called that?
The name comes from the 40 cards dealt to the tableau at the start. The game is also known as Napoleon at St. Helena because Napoleon supposedly played it during his exile.
What makes Forty Thieves so challenging?
Three factors make it hard: tableau must be built down by suit (not alternating colors), only one card can be moved at a time (no sequences), and there are no redeals of the stockpile. These restrictions make the game very difficult even with all cards visible.
History of Forty Thieves Solitaire
Forty Thieves, also known as Napoleon at St. Helena, is legendarily the game Napoleon Bonaparte played during his exile. While this origin story is likely apocryphal, the game has been documented since the late 19th century. Its punishing difficulty and strategic depth earned it names like "Big Forty" and "Roosevelt" (after Theodore Roosevelt, who allegedly enjoyed it). With win rates around 10%, it remains one of the most challenging mainstream solitaire games.
Cognitive Benefits of Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves demands exceptional sequential planning. With single-card movement across 10 columns, you must visualize long chains of individual moves. This exercises the same kind of forward-thinking used in chess — planning 10-15 moves ahead with limited margin for error.