Demon Solitaire

Classic Solitaire

Demon Solitaire

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What is Demon Solitaire?

Demon is the British name for Canfield Solitaire played with draw-one. One card at a time is turned from the stock, a 13-card reserve feeds empty tableau columns, and foundations build upward by suit starting from a randomly chosen rank, wrapping around past King and back to lower values. With unlimited redeals and a win rate around 20 percent, Demon is a demanding but approachable patience game in the Canfield family.

Demon Solitaire history

The Demon name comes from British card-game tradition and appears in early 20th-century patience collections. While Americans call the draw-three version Canfield, British players reserve "Canfield" for draw-one and use "Demon" interchangeably. The core mechanic, a 13-card reserve depleted by filling empty tableau columns, is the same in both versions. The draw-one rule gives slightly more control but the same wrapping foundation challenge.

How to play Demon Solitaire

One card at a time is drawn from the stock. The tableau builds down by alternating color, sequences move as a unit, and empty columns are filled automatically from the reserve. Foundations wrap upward by suit from the random starting rank.

  1. Identify the foundation starting rank from the seed card dealt at setup. This rank is the target for all four foundation starters before any further building can happen.
  2. Draw one card from the stock. If it plays to a foundation or a useful tableau position, play it. Otherwise, place it on the waste.
  3. Build down by alternating color in the tableau to expose cards needed for the foundation sequence. Move sequences as a unit.
  4. Empty a tableau column deliberately to pull a fresh card from the reserve. Because the reserve is face-down except for its top, each reveal is new information.
  5. Cycle through the stock repeatedly until all 52 cards reach the foundations or no progress is possible.

Strategies to win Demon Solitaire

  • Use the reserve proactively. The 13 hidden cards in the reserve are both a resource and a mystery. Clearing tableau columns to release reserve cards is often the only way to break deadlocks.
  • Draw one at a time means you see every stock card individually per cycle. Keep a mental note of which cards you passed that were not yet playable, so you know when the next cycle will be useful.
  • Balance the four foundation suits as evenly as possible. A suit far ahead of the others can block the needed low cards of lagging suits for many cycles.
  • Avoid trapping low-value cards under high ones in the tableau. With only four columns, deep stacking limits your options quickly.

Demon Solitaire rules and objective

Objective: move all 52 cards to four foundations. Foundations start at a random rank (same for all suits) and build up by suit, wrapping from King back to Ace. Tableau builds down by alternating color; sequences move as a unit. Empty columns auto-fill from reserve. Stock draws one at a time; unlimited redeals.

Game setup
ElementSetup
Deck1 standard 52-card deck
Reserve13 cards face-down (top card face-up)
Foundations4 piles; start rank random; build up by suit, wrapping
Tableau4 columns of 1 face-up card; build down, alternating color
Stock draw1 card at a time
RedealsUnlimited
Win conditionAll 52 cards on foundations

Demon Solitaire variants and similar games

Canfield is the draw-three version of this game, which is marginally more forgiving because it cycles through the stock in fewer passes. FreeCell offers a completely different open-information challenge with nearly all deals solvable. For a simpler reserve-based experience, Good Measure uses a fan layout with a high win rate and no hidden cards.

How difficult is Demon Solitaire?

Demon is harder than Canfield. Drawing one card at a time means fewer options per stock cycle, and the game's design keeps win rates low. Most experienced players win about 20 percent of Demon games, making it best suited to players who enjoy a persistent challenge over a relaxed experience. The random foundation start adds a layer of deal luck that cannot be fully overcome by skill.

What is Demon Solitaire win percentage?

Demon wins approximately 20 percent of the time with careful play. The draw-one rule combined with the wrap-around foundation and limited tableau columns makes this one of the harder single-deck solitaire games. Compared to draw-three Canfield at roughly 30 percent, Demon is noticeably more difficult despite seeing each stock card individually.

Demon Solitaire FAQ

Is Demon Solitaire the same as Canfield?

They are the same game with different draw rules. Demon draws one card at a time; Canfield (in the American sense) draws three. Both share the 13-card reserve, random foundation starting rank, wrapping foundations, and four-column tableau. British usage sometimes calls draw-one "Canfield" and draw-three "American Canfield."

Why do foundations wrap around in Demon?

The wrap-around rule ensures every deal is structurally valid: if foundations started at Ace as in Klondike, a deal with a high starting rank would be unresolvable for many moves. The wrap means any rank can legitimately seed a foundation and the game can always theoretically be won.

Is draw-one easier or harder than draw-three in Canfield?

Draw-one is harder. Although you see each card individually, the stock cycles more slowly, which means you rely on fewer lucky reveals per pass. Draw-three cycles the stock faster and often reveals a usable card sooner, giving a slightly higher overall win rate.

Can you move cards back from foundations in Demon?

In this implementation, foundation moves are one-way: cards play up to foundations but cannot be returned to the tableau. Focus on balancing all four foundation piles before sending any suit far ahead of the others.

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