Core Rules of FreeCell
- Foundations: The four piles in the top-right. You must build up each foundation by suit, starting from Ace and ending with King. The game is won once all 52 cards are in the foundation piles.
- Tableau: The main area with eight columns of cards. You can move cards between these columns, but only in descending order and with alternating colors (e.g., a black 7 can be placed on a red 8).
- Free Cells: The four empty slots in the top-left. These are temporary holding spots. Any single card from the tableau can be moved to a free cell to open up access to cards below it.
- Empty Columns: If you manage to empty a tableau column, you can move any card (or a valid, sequentially-ordered stack of cards) into that space. This is extremely powerful for re-ordering the tableau.