Play Forty and Eight Solitaire Online for Free
Forty and Eight is a similar and slightly easier game than Forty Thieves, where you get 2 passes through the stockpile instead of 1, and where the tableau has 8 columns instead of 10.
How to Play
Objective
The goal is to move all 104 cards (2 decks) from the stockpile and tableau into 8 foundation piles by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.
The Setup and Play Area
There are three main areas in the game:
Tableau piles: This is the area where cards are placed face-up in 8 columns of 5 cards each, totaling 40 cards.
Stockpile: The remaining cards, or a total of 64 cards, are face-down in the stockpile.
Waste pile: Cards drawn from the stockpile that cannot be placed in the tableau go to the waste pile. You can only go through the stockpile twice.
Foundation piles: These are the eight piles at the top of the game where cards are placed by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.
Available moves
- Only Aces can start in the foundation, and subsequent cards must be in ascending order by suit. For example, only a 2 of Spades can be played on an Ace of Spades
- Only the last card in the tableau column is playable, and it can either be moved to the foundation or on another fully exposed card of the same suit one rank higher. A 4 of Hearts, for example, can be moved on top of a 5 of Hearts.
- Unlike Klondike, you cannot move a group of sequenced cards in the tableau.
- The top card of the waste pile is playable.
- If a tableau column is empty, any playable card can be placed there.
- You are allowed 2 passes through the stockpile.
- You win when all cards are placed in the 8 foundations from Ace to King by suit.
Strategy
To win, follow these tips:
- Prioritize creating empty columns to move cards and unblock others.
- If you have an empty column, try to place cards of higher ranks to help you create longer sequences in that column. Also, late in the game, consider moving cards from the stockpile into empty columns to get them in the tableau.
- Immediately move Aces and playable cards to the foundation. Because you don't sequence cards by alternating colors, there is no benefit to leaving them in the game.
- The first visible sequence may not always be the best one. Plan out your moves to remove as many cards as possible from the tableau.
- Avoid building long sequences. That can make it harder to access cards you need for another column or that can be placed in the foundation.
- Because foundations are built from Ace to King, try to make low cards available so you can move them from the tableau into the foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are similar games?
- Forty Thieves is a harder variation with 10 tableau columns and 1 pass through the stockpile.
- Josephine Solitaire is an easier version of Forty Thieves, except you can move sequenced cards as a group, making the game easier.
