Play Congress Solitaire Online for Free
Congress Solitaire is a compact double-deck Napoleon family game. Eight columns begin with just one card each, leaving a massive 96-card stock. Same-suit building and single-card movement demand precise sequencing, while the narrow tableau tests your ability to manage limited column space effectively.
What is Congress Solitaire?
Congress uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards). Eight tableau columns are each dealt a single face-up card, placing just 8 cards on the tableau and leaving 96 in the stock. Eight foundation piles must be built from Ace up to King in suit. Tableau columns build down by the same suit; only one card at a time may be moved. One card is drawn at a time from the stock; no redeals.
How Congress differs from Forty Thieves
Classic Forty Thieves deals four cards to each of ten columns (40 on tableau). Congress deals one card to each of eight columns (8 on tableau). Fewer columns and a much deeper stock make Congress feel more like a stock-driven game than a tableau puzzle. Every draw from the stock matters enormously because you have less room to park cards.
How to play Congress Solitaire
Rules and objective
Move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, each built from Ace to King in a single suit. A card may be placed on a tableau column if it is one rank lower and of the same suit as the current top card. Only one card at a time may be moved. Empty columns accept any single card. Draw one card at a time from the stock; no redeals.
Game setup
- Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together (104 cards total).
- Deal one face-up card to each of eight columns.
- Reserve space above for eight foundation slots.
- Place the remaining 96 cards face-down as the stock.
Strategies to win Congress Solitaire
- Aces and 2s go to foundations immediately. With eight columns and same-suit building, low cards are almost never useful on the tableau. Sending them up frees precious column space.
- Protect empty columns ruthlessly. Eight columns is very tight. Never fill an empty column casually; use it only when the incoming card enables a concrete foundation play or a critical tableau reorganization.
- Build same-suit sequences downward on the tableau. Even though sequences cannot move as a unit, having an ordered same-suit run means each card can be lifted to the foundation in sequence once the Ace and lower cards are placed.
- Draw from the stock in bursts. After each draw, exhaust every tableau and foundation play before drawing again. This maximizes the usefulness of each stock card by giving it the best available column context.
Congress vs similar Napoleon family games
| Game | Columns | Cards per column | Build rule | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | 8 | 1 | Same suit | ~25% |
| Busy Aces | 12 | 1 | Same suit | ~30% |
| Red and Black | 8 | 4 | Alt colour | ~25% |
| Diplomat | 8 | 5 | Same suit | ~18% |
Congress Solitaire FAQ
How many cards start on the tableau in Congress?
Eight. Each column gets exactly one face-up card. The remaining 96 cards sit in the stock, making Congress one of the most stock-dependent Napoleon family games.
Is Congress harder than Busy Aces?
Slightly. Both start with one card per column and use same-suit building, but Busy Aces has twelve columns while Congress has eight. Those four extra columns provide significantly more room for parking cards drawn from the stock.
Are redeals allowed in Congress Solitaire?
No. You get one pass through the 96-card stock. Once exhausted, only the tableau cards and any remaining foundation plays are available.
What happens when a column is emptied in Congress?
Any single card may be placed in the empty column. This makes empty columns extremely valuable; they act as temporary storage for reorganizing sequences.
Can I move stacks of cards in Congress?
No. Only one card at a time may be moved, regardless of whether the cards form a valid descending same-suit sequence.