Penguin Solitaire

What is Penguin Solitaire?

Penguin Solitaire is an open-information card game in the Freecell family, created by David Parlett. Every card is visible from the start, so strong planning and sequencing matter more than luck. The game uses a special starting card called the beak, and that beak rank controls both foundation start rank and the rule for filling empty columns.

Penguin Solitaire history

Penguin Solitaire was designed by David Parlett as a strategic evolution of Eight Off and Freecell style patience games. It kept full-information gameplay while introducing a rotating beak rank and seven temporary cells called the flipper. This combination gives the game a high win potential while still rewarding careful tactical play. Parlett included it in his reference works on card games, where it has since become a recognized benchmark for open-information solitaire design.

How to play Penguin Solitaire

You win by moving all cards to four suit foundations. Tableau columns build down by suit only, and the flipper gives you seven temporary holding cells to manage sequences and unblock key moves.

Step-by-step play guide

1. Identify the beak rank immediately and find which columns already contain the beak-minus-one rank - those are your first priority empty-column candidates.
2. Before moving any card, trace the full suit chain for each of the four suits: know where each critical linking card is buried on the open board.
3. Move same-suit descending sequences as single units to maximise tempo - a five-card run moved in one step is far more efficient than five separate moves.
4. Use the seven flipper cells to extract blocking single cards, but treat each occupied cell as a constraint: mobility collapses when all seven are filled.
5. When emptying a column, confirm you already hold a beak-minus-one rank card ready to refill it - an empty column with no valid entry card is wasted space.
6. Commit to foundations only after a card has no remaining tableau linking role; on the open board you can see exactly when each card is truly spendable.

Strategies to win Penguin Solitaire

• Track the beak rank immediately and plan around its empty-column rule.
• Keep at least one flipper cell open when possible for emergency recovery.
• Move same-suit sequences as full units to save tempo.
• Avoid overfilling the flipper, since mobility drops quickly when all seven cells are occupied.
• Build foundations steadily, but do not rush cards that still serve tableau linking.

Penguin Solitaire rules and objective

Foundations build up by suit from the beak rank, wrapping around the deck until they end one rank below the beak. Tableau builds downward by suit only, and in-suit runs can be moved together with no Freecell-style capacity limit.

Deal layout

How Penguin compares to the Freecell family

Penguin Solitaire variants and similar games

This site currently offers one Penguin Solitaire ruleset. If you want a close strategic feel, try Freecell for open-information planning, Josephine for suit-heavy sequencing with a large stock, or Spider for long-run structure management on a wider board.

How difficult is Penguin Solitaire?

Penguin Solitaire is usually rated medium difficulty. It is often easier to finish than classic Klondike because all cards are visible, but beak constraints and suit-only sequencing still punish careless moves.

What is Penguin Solitaire win percentage?

A practical benchmark for Penguin Solitaire is about 65% wins. Open information helps, but beak and suit-order constraints still demand disciplined flipper usage and precise tableau sequencing.

What is the difference between Penguin Solitaire and Freecell?

Both are open-information games, but Penguin uses beak-driven rules, seven flipper cells, and suit-only tableau building. Freecell uses four free cells and alternating-color tableau rules. Penguin also allows full suit-sequence movement without Freecell stack-capacity math.

Penguin Solitaire FAQ

Other solitaire games I recommend

• Klondike Turn One - The classic patience game. Draw one card at a time.
• Klondike Turn Three - A more challenging version. Draw three cards at once.
• Freecell - Use four free cells to strategically move cards.
• Double Freecell - Two decks, eight free cells. Double the fun.
• Josephine Solitaire - Classic two-deck Josephine. Build down by suit and move in-suit sequences.
• Forty Thieves - Napoleon at St Helena: two decks, ten columns, same-suit building. One of the hardest solitaire games.
• Streets Solitaire - Forty Thieves with alternating-colour building. More options, twice the win rate.
• Deauville Solitaire - Forty Thieves variant with three face-down rows per column. Alternate-colour building with hidden cards.
• Number Ten Solitaire - Two face-down rows per column, alternating-colour building, and sequence movement. Win rate around 40%.
• Rank and File Solitaire - Three face-down rows, alternating-colour building, sequences move. One of the best mid-difficulty Napoleon variants.
• Emperor Solitaire - Rank and File with worry-back: retrieve top foundation cards to the tableau. Win rate around 60%.
• Westcliff Solitaire - Single-deck Napoleon game: ten columns of three, two face-down rows, sequences move freely. Wins ~90% of the time.
• Martha Solitaire - Single-deck patience with Aces pre-placed, twelve columns, and alternating face-down rows. No stock or sequence movement.
• Canister Solitaire - All 52 cards dealt face-up in eight columns with a unique partial extra row. Pure positional strategy, no stock.
• Indian Solitaire - Double-deck Napoleon variant with ten columns, one face-down card per column, and any-suit-except-own building.
• Limited Solitaire - Twelve face-up columns, same-suit building, single-card movement. A wider but shallower take on Forty Thieves.
• Lucas Solitaire - All Aces pre-placed on foundations, thirteen face-up columns, same-suit building. Named after mathematician Edouard Lucas.
• Maria Solitaire - Nine face-up columns with alternating-colour building. Named after Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria.
• Midshipman Solitaire - Nine columns with two face-down cards each and any-suit-except-own building. An intermediate Napoleon challenge.
• Red and Black Solitaire - Eight face-up columns, alternating-colour building, and the largest stock of any standard double-deck Napoleon variant.
• Colonel Solitaire - Twelve face-up columns with same-suit building and a demanding positional constraint. One of the hardest Napoleon variants.
• Sixty Thieves Solitaire - Three decks, twelve columns of five, twelve foundation piles. The largest and most demanding Napoleon family game.
• Octave Solitaire - Eight columns of three cards with two face-down per column, alternating-colour building, and a massive 80-card stock.
• Diplomat Solitaire - Eight tall columns of five face-up cards each. Same-suit building, single-card movement. A compact Napoleon variant.
• La Nivernaise Solitaire - Classic French patience with two hidden rows per column. Same-suit building with information discovery.
• Striptease Solitaire - Forty Thieves with any-suit tableau building. The most permissive Napoleon family variant. Win rate around 45%.
• Baker's Game - The same-suit ancestor of Freecell. Four free cells, same-suit building. Harder than Freecell with a ~45% win rate.
• Eight Off Solitaire - Eight free cells and same-suit building. More forgiving than Baker's Game with a win rate around 85%.
• Seahaven Towers Solitaire - Ten columns, four free cells, same-suit building. Only Kings on empty columns. Win rate around 75%.
• Beleaguered Castle Solitaire - Zero free cells with Aces pre-placed. Rank-only building on eight columns. One of the hardest solitaire games.
• ForeCell Solitaire - Same-suit building with Kings-only empty columns. All four free cells start filled. Win rate around 60%.
• Spider One Suit - The best place to start. Only Spades are used.
• Spider Two Suits - Intermediate difficulty using Spades and Hearts.
• Spider Relaxed - A more forgiving version of Spider Solitaire.
• Spider Two Suits Relaxed - Two-suit Spider with free dealing onto empty columns. Win rate around 50%.
• Spider Four Suits Relaxed - The hardest Spider variant made accessible. Deal freely even with empty columns.
• Spiderette - Single-deck Spider with a Klondike-style 7-column opening layout.
• Will o' the Wisp - Spiderette-family game with a compact 7x3 opening and same-suit sequence movement.
• Simple Simon - Open-information Spider variant with all cards face-up and no stock deals.
• Mrs. Mop - Double-deck Spider relative with all 104 cards dealt face-up into 13 columns.
• Spider Four Suits - The ultimate challenge. Uses all four suits.
• Scorpion Solitaire - Yukon-style Spider relative: build down by suit and move exposed tails.
• Scorpion II - An easier Scorpion setup with fewer hidden-heavy tableau columns.
• Three Blind Mice - Scorpion variant with 10 columns, right-side hidden cards, and reserve cards.
• Wasp Solitaire - Scorpion with flexible empty columns: any card or sequence can fill a gap.
• Double Scorpion - Two-deck Scorpion challenge with deeper stack planning and longer runs.
• Yukon Solitaire - No-stock Yukon classic with long tail moves and alternating-color building.
• Russian Solitaire - Yukon-style movement with strict same-suit descending tableau building.
• Alaska Solitaire - Bidirectional same-suit Yukon variant with flexible adjacent rank movement.
• Australian Patience - Australian Patience with same-suit tableau building and one-pass stock play.
• Canberra Solitaire - Australian variant with one full stock redeal for improved recovery play.
• Tasmanian Solitaire - Australian-family solitaire with unlimited redeals and longer conversion lines.
• Brisbane Solitaire - Australian-family setup variation with a distinct opening tableau distribution.
• Accordion Solitaire - Compression-style patience game. Merge piles one or three positions left by rank or suit.
• Push-Pin Solitaire - Two-deck Royal Marriage family game with chained eliminations and timed stock deals.
• Royal Marriage Solitaire - Eliminator solitaire where matching outer cards remove blockers in the middle.
• The Queen and Her Lad - Push-out variant focused on isolating Q♥ and J♥ while managing chained removals.
• Clock Solitaire - Classic luck-based shuttler. Place cards on matching clock piles and hope no pile fills with Kings.
• Travellers Solitaire - Clock variant where all cards start face-down and are shuttled into clock position piles.
• Four of a Kind - Grid-based shuttler that advances through 13 piles in sequential order. From Foster's Hoyle (1897).
• Hidden Cards - Row-layout shuttler where face-down cards are revealed and placed by rank.
• Hide and Seek - Grid-layout variant of Hidden Cards with a 4×13 arrangement.
• Wandering Card - Two-phase clock solitaire: deal 12 piles, then shuttle remaining cards by rank.
• Spoilt Solitaire - 32-card Piquet-deck shuttler played with ranks 7 through Ace.
• Grandfather's Clock - Strategic single-deck builder with 12 clock-face foundations and 8 open tableau columns.
• Big Ben Solitaire - Two-deck clock solitaire with inner/outer circles, gap-filling, and stock management.
• Will o' the Wisp - Seven columns of three cards each. Same Spider rules in a compact single-deck format.
• Simple Simon - All 52 cards dealt face-up across ten columns. No stock, pure strategy.
• Mrs. Mop - Two decks dealt entirely face-up into thirteen columns. Complete eight suit sequences to win.
• Pyramid Solitaire - Remove pairs of exposed cards that sum to 13. Clear the 7-row pyramid to win.
• Relaxed Pyramid - Pyramid with a forgiving exposure rule and one redeal. Great for beginners.
• Tut's Tomb - Pyramid Solitaire with unlimited redeals through the waste pile. Also called King Tut.
• Apophis Solitaire - Pyramid with three waste piles. Drawn cards cycle between piles for extra strategy.
• Giza Solitaire - No stock pile. All 52 cards dealt to a pyramid and an 8-column reserve grid.
• Triangle Solitaire - Inverted pyramid layout. Seven cards at the top, single apex at the bottom.
• Pharaoh Solitaire - Pyramid with a 7-card reserve row permanently available below the pyramid.
• Pyramid Turn 3 - Draw 3 cards at once with 2 redeals. Also known as Solitaire by Threes.
• Golf Solitaire - Build a sequential chain from 7 columns of 5 cards. One rank up or down.
• TriPeaks Solitaire - Three overlapping peaks. Remove cards one rank from the waste top to clear them.
• Double TriPeaks - Two full decks dealt into six peaks. Extended sequential chain challenge.
• Black Hole Solitaire - All 51 cards dealt to 17 columns. Build a chain to the Ace of Spades center.
• Putt Putt Solitaire - Golf Solitaire with Ace-King wrapping. Build longer chains with circular rank connections.
• All in a Row Solitaire - 13 columns of 4 face-up cards. No stock pile. Pure planning Golf chain puzzle.
• Queens on Kings Solitaire - Golf Solitaire where Queens can be played on Kings. One extra connection for longer chains.
• Golf with Jokers Solitaire - Golf Solitaire with two wildcard Jokers. Play a Joker on any card and vice versa.
• Pyramid Golf Solitaire - 7-row pyramid layout meets Golf chain mechanic. Uncover and chain cards to the waste.
• Busy Aces Solitaire - Double-deck Napoleon game with twelve columns of one card each. Same-suit building with a massive stock.
• Congress Solitaire - Compact double-deck Napoleon game. Eight columns of one card each with same-suit building.
• Fortune's Favor Solitaire - Single-deck Napoleon game with Aces pre-dealt to foundations. Twelve columns, alternating-colour building.
• Interchange Solitaire - Double-deck Napoleon game with alternating-colour building with sequence movement. One face-down row per column.
• Thieves of Egypt Solitaire - Pyramid-shaped deal across ten columns. Any-suit building with sequence moves. 55 face-up cards from the start.
• Deuces Solitaire - Foundations start on 2s and wrap through King back to Ace. Same-suit building on ten columns with two decks.
• Blockade Solitaire - Round-robin stock deal sends one card to each of twelve columns. Alternating-color building with sequence moves.
• Spider One Suit Relaxed - The easiest Spider variant. One suit with relaxed dealing. Deal freely even with empty columns.
• Easthaven - Klondike meets Spider. Three equal rows dealt, stock deals one card to every column. No redeals.
• Whitehead - All cards face-up Klondike with same-color builds and same-suit stack moves. Any card on empties.
• Thumb and Pouch - Relaxed Klondike where any suit (except the same) can stack. ~55% win rate.
• Thoughtful Klondike - Klondike with all cards face-up. Pure strategy, no hidden information. ~75% win rate.
• Double Klondike - Two-deck Klondike with nine tableau columns and eight foundations for deeper planning.
• Triple Klondike - Three-deck Klondike marathon with thirteen columns and twelve foundations.
• Vegas Solitaire - Turn-three Klondike with no redeals. A stricter stock-management challenge.
• Agnes Bernauer Solitaire - Agnes-family Klondike with random foundation starts, wrapping foundations, and round-robin stock deals.
• Agnes Sorel Solitaire - Agnes-style Klondike using same-color tableau building and wrapping foundations.
• Moosehide Solitaire - Yukon-family game with same-color descending builds and exposed-tail movement.
• King Albert Solitaire - 9 staircase columns, 7 Belgian Reserve cards, all face-up. One card at a time; ~80% win rate.
• Canfield Solitaire - Draw-three patience with a 13-card reserve, wrapping foundations, and unlimited redeals. Win rate ~30%.
• Demon Solitaire - British draw-one Canfield. Same wrapping foundations and reserve mechanic, harder at ~20% win rate.
• La Belle Lucie Solitaire - 17 fans of 3, same-suit building, 2 shuffled redeals. The hardest fan solitaire at ~8% win rate.
• Trefoil Solitaire - All four aces start on foundations; 16 fans of 3, same-suit building, 2 redeals. Win rate ~15%.
• Cruel Solitaire - Fans of 4 with aces pre-placed; ordered (no-shuffle) redeals; same-suit building. Win rate ~50%.
• Shamrocks Solitaire - 17 fans of 3, any-suit up-or-down building, max 3 cards per fan, no redeals. Win rate ~12%.
• Good Measure Solitaire - 10 fans of 5, two aces pre-seeded, any-suit-down building, no redeals. Easiest fan game at ~75% win rate.
• Montana Solitaire - 4x13 grid, fill gaps with same-suit ascending cards. Also known as Gaps or Blue Moon. Win rate ~20%.
• Sir Tommy Solitaire - The oldest solitaire game. Deal one card at a time; build A-K regardless of suit. Also known as Old Patience. Win rate ~30%.
• House in the Wood - La Belle Lucie variant where empty fans accept any card. Same-suit building, 2 redeals. Win rate ~40%.
• Alexander the Great - Cruel without redeals. 12 fans of 4, same-suit building, aces pre-placed. Win rate ~5%.
• Double Easthaven - Two-deck Easthaven. 8 columns, stock deals to tableau. Win rate ~15%.
• Odessa Solitaire - Yukon variant where any card fills empty columns (not just Kings). Win rate ~75%.
• Double Klondike Turn 3 - Two-deck Klondike with draw-three. 9 columns, 8 foundations. Win rate ~10%.