Cell

About Cell

Cell is a free FreeCell game from Mind Loft, played in the browser. It uses a smaller deck than the classic game: ace through eight in four suits, thirty-two cards dealt face up into six columns. You have a few free cells to park single cards and four foundations to build up by suit from the ace.

The rules are FreeCell's. Columns build down by one in alternating colours, and a run of cards moves as a single move as long as your open cells and empty columns could carry it. Cards that are safe to send home go there on their own and cost nothing. There is no undo, only a restart of the deal, and a hint button is there if you get stuck.

What makes Cell different from an ordinary solitaire is the score. Every deal has been solved, so the page shows the proven minimum number of moves as perfect, with par set a few moves above it. You cannot beat perfect; the game is how close you get. Since all cards are visible and every deal is winnable, the result comes from planning, not from the luck of the draw.

The week changes the deal. Monday and Tuesday give four free cells, midweek has three and from Friday there are two. The Sunday Edition uses a bigger deck, ace through ten, forty cards in seven columns.

A new deal arrives at midnight Eastern time. There is no app and no sign-up, past deals are in an archive, and a daily leaderboard and streak are there for those who want them. It suits solitaire players who like a single careful puzzle a day rather than endless quick deals.

How to play Cell

1. Open today's Cell and press Start to see the deal: six columns of face-up cards, the free cells at the top left and the four foundations at the top right.
2. Tap a card to pick it up, then tap where it should go: onto a column card one higher in the other colour, into an empty free cell or into an empty column.
3. Move a whole run in one move when it builds down in alternating colours and your open cells and empty columns can carry it.
4. Double-tap a card to send it to its foundation; safe cards go home by themselves and do not count as moves.
5. Build all four suits home from ace to eight (ace to ten on Sunday) and compare your move count with par and perfect.

Screenshots

Tips

• Look for the aces before your first move: most deals start with digging out the ace buried deepest.
• An empty column is worth more than a free cell, since it lets you move longer runs in one move.
• There is no undo, so plan a few moves ahead before you fill your last free cell.
• Expect fewer free cells later in the week and take your time on Friday and Saturday deals.

Questions