Grandfather's Clock Solitaire

What is Grandfather's Clock Solitaire?

Grandfather's Clock is a strategic single-deck solitaire where 12 predetermined cards are arranged in a clock-face circle as foundation starters. The remaining 40 cards are dealt into 8 fully visible tableau columns. Your goal is to build each foundation up by suit until the top card matches the number on its clock position. When all 12 foundations display the correct hour, the clock is complete and you win. With roughly a 75% win rate, it rewards careful planning and offers a satisfying visual payoff few solitaire games can match.

Grandfather's Clock Solitaire history

Grandfather's Clock first appeared in Victorian-era patience collections and has remained a staple of printed solitaire compendiums for over a century. Its distinctive circular foundation layout sets it apart from standard builder games and inspired later clock-themed solitaires such as Big Ben. The game's high win rate and open information make it an excellent bridge between casual luck-based patience games and pure-strategy builders like FreeCell.

How to play Grandfather's Clock Solitaire

1. 12 preset cards are placed on the clock face as foundation bases (see starter table below).
2. The remaining 40 cards are dealt into 8 tableau columns of 5, all face-up.
3. Build foundations up by suit, wrapping King to Ace when needed.
4. Build tableau columns down regardless of suit.
5. Only the top card of each tableau column may be moved.
6. Any card may be placed on an empty tableau column.
7. Win when every clock position shows its correct hour number.

Strategies to win Grandfather's Clock

• Free columns are power: Creating empty columns gives you temporary storage. Try to maintain at least one open column at all times.
• Plan wrapping moves early: Foundations at 1 through 4 o'clock need to wrap past King to Ace. Identify those Kings and Aces in the tableau and keep their paths clear.
• Prioritize short foundation chains: Foundations at 5 through 8 o'clock only need 3 additional cards each. Complete these first to open tableau space.
• Avoid burying critical cards: Since only top cards move, stacking a needed foundation card under others creates a deadlock.
• Use undo freely: With all information visible, you can explore lines and backtrack without penalty.

Grandfather's Clock rules and objective

The goal is to build all 12 clock-face foundations up by suit until each displays its target hour card. Tableau columns build down regardless of suit, and only single top cards can move. Empty columns accept any card. There is no stock, no waste, and no hidden information.

Game setup

Foundation starter cards (clock positions)

Scoring

Grandfather's Clock Solitaire variants

Clock-themed solitaires range from pure-luck shuttlers to strategic builders. Grandfather's Clock sits on the strategic end of the spectrum.

• Big Ben: two-deck expansion with inner/outer circles, gap-filling, and a stock pile.
• Clock Solitaire: mechanical shuttler with face-down circular piles. No strategy.
• Travellers Solitaire: face-down row variant of Clock with similar odds.
• Hidden Cards: shuttler with a 2x6 grid and separate Kings pile.
• Four of a Kind: sequential shuttler with grid layout.

How difficult is Grandfather's Clock Solitaire?

Grandfather's Clock is one of the most accessible strategic solitaires. All cards are face-up from the start, giving you complete information for planning. The 8 tableau columns provide ample working space, and empty columns can hold any card. The main challenge comes from single-card movement and avoiding deadlocks where needed cards get buried.

What is Grandfather's Clock's win percentage?

Grandfather's Clock Solitaire has an estimated win rate of about 75% with optimal play. This makes it one of the highest win-rate strategy solitaires available, comparable to FreeCell (about 99%) in terms of being skill-dependent, though slightly less forgiving due to single-card moves and foundation wrapping requirements.

What is the difference between Grandfather's Clock and Big Ben?

Both are clock-face solitaires with circular foundations, but they differ significantly in complexity and deck size. Grandfather's Clock is a clean open-information game, while Big Ben adds a stock pile, waste pile, and gap-filling mechanics.

Grandfather's Clock Solitaire FAQ

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