Play Agnes Sorel Solitaire Online for Free (Same Color Agnes)
Agnes Sorel is the harder Agnes variant. It shares the random foundation start and wrapping progression of Agnes Bernauer but switches tableau descent to same color. That one change tightens the board noticeably and drops the win rate to around 24%.
What is Agnes Sorel Solitaire?
Agnes Sorel is a seven-column Klondike variant where tableau columns build down in same color rather than alternating color. Like Agnes Bernauer, it opens with a randomly drawn foundation rank and builds all four suits up from there, wrapping past King back to Ace. Stock deals distribute one card to each tableau column in round-robin order.
The same-color descent is the defining restriction. In standard Klondike or Agnes Bernauer, a red 7 can accept either a black 6. In Agnes Sorel, a red 7 only accepts a red 6. That halves the number of valid landing spots for any given card and quickly creates columns where movement stalls.
How to play Agnes Sorel Solitaire
- Note the random foundation start rank shown by the seeded foundation cards at the start of the deal.
- Build tableau columns down in same color. A red card only accepts a red card one rank lower; same for black.
- Move cards to foundations once they match the current target rank for that suit in the wrapped progression.
- When stuck, deal from stock. One card goes to each tableau column in order from left to right.
- Use empty columns freely: any card, not just Kings, can fill an empty space.
- Win when all four foundations have completed their wrapped thirteen-card sequence.
Winning strategies
- Track color distribution across columns early: same-color descent means you can end up with all red cards on one side and all black on the other. Redistributing that takes more moves than preventing it.
- Prioritize reveals that expose a same-color landing card: before each move ask whether the newly exposed card gives you a legal destination you did not have before, not just whether it looks useful.
- Guard your empty columns carefully: with fewer valid docking spots per card, an empty column is the main pressure release. Filling it on a card that turns out to be stuck is costly.
- Be slower to push foundations than in Bernauer: sending a card up can remove a bridge rank that was the only same-color connector for another column.
Rules summary
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deck | 1 standard deck (52 cards) |
| Tableau | 7 columns, Klondike-style deal |
| Foundation start | Random rank, same for all four suits |
| Foundation build | Up by suit, wraps King to Ace |
| Tableau build | Down, same color |
| Stock deal | One card per tableau column, round-robin |
| Empty columns | Accept any card |
How difficult is it?
Agnes Sorel is harder than Agnes Bernauer. The win rate drops to about 24%, and the practical difficulty feels higher than that number suggests because the same-color restriction creates board states where cards are present but legally useless. You will often have exactly the rank you need but in the wrong color, with no way to move around it.
What is the difference between Agnes Sorel and Agnes Bernauer?
The only rule difference is tableau descent color. Agnes Bernauer uses alternating color; Agnes Sorel uses same color. Everything else, the random foundation start, the wrapping progression, the round-robin stock, the any-card empty columns, is identical. That single tableau change reduces the legal moves available at any given board state, which is why Sorel is harder to win and harder to recover from late mistakes in.
Why I would pick Agnes Sorel over Agnes Bernauer
The reason I come back to Agnes Sorel over Bernauer is that the same-color rule creates a specific kind of pressure that feels earned. When the board locks up, it usually traces to a single early move where color distribution went wrong. That is more satisfying to identify than bad luck.
What I dislike is how quickly the round-robin stock can bury progress. If three columns are already stalled when a new deal comes in, each of those columns gets another card it cannot use. Bernauer absorbs that better because alternating-color descent leaves more options. Sorel punishes a crowded board more directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Agnes Sorel Solitaire harder than Agnes Bernauer?
Yes. The win rate is about 24% compared to 28% for Bernauer. The same-color tableau rule is the only difference, but it has a meaningful effect on how often the board becomes unwinnable. Fewer valid docking spots means fewer recovery options when the deal goes against you.
How does the random foundation start work in Agnes Sorel?
At the start of each deal, one rank is drawn at random and one card of each suit at that rank is placed as a foundation starter. All four foundations then build upward from there, cycling through the full thirteen-card sequence and wrapping past King back to Ace when needed.
Do empty columns require Kings in Agnes Sorel Solitaire?
No. Any card can go to an empty column. This is one of the few places where Agnes Sorel is as flexible as Bernauer. Given how often same-color descent creates stuck cards, empty column freedom is important to preserve.
What does same-color tableau build mean in practice?
A card can only be placed on a card of the same color that is one rank higher. A black 6 docks on a black 7. A red 9 docks on a red 10. This cuts the number of legal moves compared to alternating-color descent and makes column management more deliberate.
What is the best opening strategy for Agnes Sorel Solitaire?
Focus on revealing face-down cards while monitoring which colors are concentrated in which columns. Spread color distribution early to avoid the mid-game problem where all your same-color targets are buried under opposite-color piles.
Other solitaire games I recommend
Agnes Bernauer is the natural comparison if you want the same structure with a more forgiving tableau. The related games list below also covers the wider Klondike family.