Play Big Ben Solitaire Online for Free
Big Ben is one of the few clock-style solitaire games that gives you real control. The layout still looks like a clock, but the play is much closer to a full strategy game because you manage two decks, an outer ring, a stock, a waste pile, and the timing of every gap fill.
What is Big Ben Solitaire?
Big Ben is a two-deck solitaire built around a clock face. Twelve fixed foundation cards sit in the middle, and twelve tableau piles form a second ring around them. You build the middle foundations up by suit, build the outer ring down by suit, and use the stock to refill short piles or draw single cards to the waste.
That mix is what makes Big Ben different from the lighter clock-family games. It still has the visual clock layout, but it plays like a proper management puzzle rather than an automatic reveal chain. You are not just waiting to see whether the shuffle works, you are deciding when to open space, when to refill, and when to leave a pile alone.
History
Big Ben has also been published under the names The Clock, L'Horloge, and Father Time. It is a large-scale, two-deck expansion of Grandfather's Clock. The shared clock theme matters, but the play is much heavier here because Big Ben adds a second deck, an outer ring, and stock-based gap filling instead of leaving the whole deal open from the start.
How to play Big Ben Solitaire
- 12 preset cards form the inner clock circle (foundations).
- 12 piles of 3 face-up cards form the outer circle (tableau).
- Build inner foundations up by suit, wrapping King to Ace.
- Build outer piles down by suit, wrapping Ace to King.
- Only the top card of each outer pile is available to play.
- Outer piles must maintain a minimum of 3 cards. You cannot build on a pile with fewer than 3 cards.
- When piles fall below 3 cards (creating "gaps"), use the Fill Gaps action to deal from stock and replenish all piles to 3.
- When stuck, draw one card from stock to the waste pile.
- The top waste card can be played to the inner or outer circle.
- No redeals. The game ends when the stock is exhausted and no more moves remain.
- Win when all 12 foundations display their clock-hour values.
Winning strategies
- Do not rush the Fill Gaps action: once you refill, you lose the current shape of the outer ring. It is strongest when several piles are short at once and one refill can give you multiple new plays.
- Use the outer ring to expose useful cards: building down is not helpful by itself. The point is to free cards that move to the foundations or improve the next sequence.
- Be careful with the waste: every stock draw buries whatever came before it. If the board still has moves, taking a fresh waste card too early can cost you access to something better.
- Track the wrap points early: some foundations need to pass through King back to Ace before they reach their target value. If you lose track of those suit sequences, the middle ring stalls.
- Think in suits, not just local moves: with two decks, it is easy to burn time on moves that look active but do not help the suit you actually need in the centre.
Rules and objective
The goal is to build all 12 inner-circle foundations up by suit until each displays its target clock-hour card. Outer-circle piles build down by suit. The stock provides cards through gap-filling and single draws to the waste. There is no redeal.
Game setup
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Decks used | 2 standard decks (104 cards) |
| Inner circle | 12 preset foundation cards in clock positions |
| Outer circle | 12 piles of 3 face-up cards each |
| Stock pile | 56 remaining cards |
| Waste pile | Cards drawn from stock that cannot be placed |
| Win condition | All 12 foundations show their clock-hour number |
Foundation starter cards
| Position | Starter | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 o'clock | 6♣ | A♣ |
| 2 o'clock | 7♥ | 2♥ |
| 3 o'clock | 8♠ | 3♠ |
| 4 o'clock | 9♦ | 4♦ |
| 5 o'clock | 10♣ | 5♣ |
| 6 o'clock | J♥ | 6♥ |
| 7 o'clock | Q♠ | 7♠ |
| 8 o'clock | K♦ | 8♦ |
| 9 o'clock | 2♣ | 9♣ |
| 10 o'clock | 3♥ | 10♥ |
| 11 o'clock | 4♠ | J♠ |
| 12 o'clock | 5♦ | Q♦ |
Scoring
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Move card to inner foundation | +10 |
| Move waste card to inner foundation | +15 |
| Move card from foundation to outer circle | -15 |
Variants and similar games
Big Ben sits at the heavy end of the clock family. The related games below either remove the stock, remove most of the player control, or shrink the layout into something easier to read.
- Grandfather's Clock: single-deck version with 8 open columns and no stock, so it feels cleaner and more transparent.
- Clock Solitaire: fully automatic shuttler with face-down circular piles and almost no decision-making.
- Travellers Solitaire: row-based shuttler with the same place-and-reveal idea in a much plainer layout.
- Hidden Cards: shuttler with a 2x6 grid and a separate Kings pile, so readability changes as the run develops.
- Four of a Kind: more forgiving shuttler with a grid layout and a much softer overall difficulty curve.
How difficult is it?
Big Ben is difficult, but it is difficult in a satisfying way. The game gives you information and choices, then punishes sloppy timing. Most losses come from spending the stock too loosely, refilling gaps too early, or building around the outer ring without improving the centre.
Win percentage
Big Ben Solitaire has an estimated win rate of about 50% with skilled play. This places it between casual shuffler games (1% win rate) and highly solvable strategy games like FreeCell (about 99%).
What is the difference between Big Ben and Grandfather's Clock?
Both games use a clock layout, but they ask for different kinds of play. Grandfather's Clock is open and orderly. Big Ben is larger, tighter, and more volatile because the stock and refill rule can change the board state quickly.
| Feature | Big Ben | Grandfather's Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | 2 (104 cards) | 1 (52 cards) |
| Tableau | 12 outer-circle piles of 3 | 8 columns of 5 |
| Stock | 56-card stock | None |
| Information | Partially hidden (stock) | Fully open |
| Build tableau | Down, by suit | Down, any suit |
| Win rate | About 50% | About 75% |
My take on Big Ben
I like Big Ben because it looks neat but does not play softly. The page starts with a very tidy clock layout, then the stock and gap rules turn it into a game where small timing mistakes matter.
The downside is that it is easy to make the board worse while thinking you are making progress. A few harmless-looking outer-ring moves can leave the centre stuck and force a bad refill.
Frequently asked questions
How is Big Ben different from Grandfather's Clock?
Big Ben uses two decks (104 cards) instead of one, adds an outer circle tableau with gap-filling mechanics, includes a stock and waste pile, and requires building down by suit on the outer circle. Grandfather's Clock is a simpler one-deck open-information game.
What is the minimum pile size rule?
Each outer circle pile must contain at least 3 cards. If a pile drops below 3 through moves, those "gaps" can only be filled by dealing from the stock. You cannot place cards from other piles into a gap. The Fill Gaps button replenishes all short piles at once.
Can I redeal the stock?
No. There is only one pass through the stock. Once it is exhausted, you must work with the remaining cards in the outer circle and waste.
What is Big Ben's win rate?
Approximately 50% of deals are winnable with skilled play, according to classic solitaire reference books.
Why is the game called Big Ben?
The game is named after the Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big Ben. The twelve foundation positions mirror the twelve hours on the clock tower's face. The game has also been published under the names The Clock, L'Horloge, and Father Time.
Other solitaire games I recommend
If you want another clock-layout game with more open information, try Grandfather's Clock. If you want something much lighter and more automatic, use the related-games list below to move into the shuttler branch instead.