Play Hide and Seek Solitaire Online for Free (Versteckenspiel)
What is Hide and Seek Solitaire?
Hide and Seek Solitaire, known in German as Versteckenspiel, is a single-deck shuttling patience game with 13 face-down piles arranged in a row of seven and a row of six. It belongs to the Travellers family and uses the same mechanical card-placement rhythm, but play begins from the Ace pile rather than a central reserve, creating a different unfolding experience compared to Clock Solitaire or Travellers.
Hide and Seek Solitaire history
Hide and Seek originates from German patience traditions under the name Versteckenspiel. David Parlett documents it alongside other shuttler variants that descend from Ednah Cheney's 1869 Wandering Card. The German variant kept the chain-shuttling mechanic but changed the starting pile to the Ace position and dealt all cards face-down in two rows, giving it a distinctive look and feel within the shuttler family.
How to play Hide and Seek Solitaire
- Deal 52 cards face-down into 13 piles of 4 cards each, arranged in a row of 7 and a row of 6.
- Piles are labelled Ace through King (pile 1 = Ace, pile 13 = King).
- Flip the top card of the Ace pile (pile 1) to begin shuttling.
- Place each revealed card face-up under the pile matching its rank.
- Flip the top card of the destination pile and continue the chain.
- Kings go to pile 13. If the fourth King arrives while face-down cards remain in other piles, the game is lost.
- Win when every pile holds four cards of its matching rank.
Strategies to win Hide and Seek Solitaire
Hide and Seek is a purely mechanical game with no player decisions. The outcome is determined entirely by the initial shuffle. Because you start from the Ace pile rather than a reserve, the initial sequence differs from Clock and Travellers, but the lack of choice remains the same. Enjoy the suspense of watching the cards reveal themselves, or try Grandfather's Clock for a shuttler-themed game with real strategic depth.
Hide and Seek Solitaire rules and objective
The goal is to sort all 52 cards so that each pile holds four cards of its designated rank. The game ends when the fourth King is placed on pile 13. If all other piles are complete at that point, you win. If face-down cards remain, you lose.
Game setup
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deck | Standard 52 cards |
| Layout | 13 piles: row of 7 + row of 6, all face-down |
| Start | Top card of pile 1 (Ace pile) |
| Kings | Go to pile 13; 4th King ends the game |
| Objective | Each pile holds 4 cards of its named rank |
| Player decisions | None; purely mechanical shuttling |
Hide and Seek Solitaire variants
Hide and Seek is part of the shuttler patience family. Each variant shares the core card-placement mechanic but varies in layout and King handling.
- Clock Solitaire: circular clock-face dial with all cards face-down and Kings sent to the centre.
- Travellers Solitaire: 13 face-down row piles starting from the reserve pile.
- Hidden Cards: 12 face-up piles in a 2x6 grid with a separate Kings pile and reserve.
- Four of a Kind: grid layout with sequential pile advancement.
- Wandering Card: the 1869 original with a dealing set-aside phase.
- Spoilt: 32-card variant with suit-and-rank placement.
How difficult is Hide and Seek Solitaire?
Hide and Seek is extremely difficult to win. It uses the same chain-shuttling mechanic as Clock and Travellers, which means the fourth King appearing too early blocks the entire game. The starting position (Ace pile) does not change the odds significantly because the rest of the chain is still determined by the shuffle.
What is Hide and Seek Solitaire's win percentage?
Hide and Seek Solitaire has an estimated win rate of about 1%. This matches the approximately 1% win rate of Clock Solitaire and Travellers, since all three use the same chain-shuttling mechanic with the same loss condition (fourth King appearing too early).
What is the difference between Hide and Seek and Travellers?
Hide and Seek and Travellers are closely related shuttler games with the same win condition and similar odds. The main differences are the starting pile and layout arrangement. Travellers starts from the reserve pile (pile 13) in two rows of seven, while Hide and Seek starts from the Ace pile (pile 1) in rows of seven and six.
| Feature | Hide and Seek | Travellers |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Row of 7 + row of 6 | Two rows of 7 (13 piles) |
| Card facing | All face-down | All face-down |
| Starting pile | Pile 1 (Ace) | Pile 13 (reserve) |
| Kings | Go to pile 13 (4th = loss) | Go to pile 13 (4th = loss) |
| Win rate | About 1% | About 1% |
| Origin | German (Versteckenspiel) | English (1888) |
Hide and Seek Solitaire FAQ
What does Versteckenspiel mean?
Versteckenspiel is German for "Hide and Seek game." The name reflects the face-down dealing: all cards are hidden at the start, and you reveal them one by one through shuttling.
Why does Hide and Seek start from the Ace pile?
The German variant tradition begins from the first named pile (Ace) rather than a central reserve. This gives the game a different initial sequence but does not change the overall odds.
Can I improve my chances in Hide and Seek?
No. Hide and Seek is completely mechanical with no player decisions. The result is determined by the shuffle. The only way to get a different outcome is to deal a new game.
How long does a game of Hide and Seek take?
A single game typically finishes in 2 to 4 minutes. With auto-play enabled, the entire shuttling sequence completes in under a minute since there are no decisions to make.
Is Hide and Seek the same as Clock Patience?
They are related but not identical. Both use chain shuttling and lose on the fourth King, but Clock arranges piles in a circular dial while Hide and Seek uses straight rows. They share roughly the same 1% win rate.