About Yukon Solitaire
How to play Yukon Solitaire
The aim is to move all 52 cards onto four foundations, one for each suit. Each foundation starts with an Ace and builds upwards in rank to King, keeping cards of the same suit together.
On the columns, cards are arranged in descending rank and alternating colours. For example, you can place a red 8 onto a black 9. Unlike many other Solitaire games, you can move any face-up card, together with all the cards sitting on top of it, even if those cards are not arranged in order. Only the card you are placing needs to follow the building rule.
When you move cards away and uncover a face-down card, it automatically turns face up. Revealing these hidden cards is an important part of making progress, as it creates new opportunities to move cards around the table.
If you empty a column, only a King can be moved into that space, either on its own or with other cards sitting on it. You can also move cards back from the foundations to the columns when you need them to continue building sequences.
Before starting, choose between Yukon and Russian rules. Yukon is the default and allows you to build down in alternating colours. Russian uses the same deal but requires cards to be built down in the same suit, making it considerably harder. Only around 7% of Russian deals can be won, so the Winnable deals only setting is enabled by default for this rule set.
You win when all 52 cards have been moved onto the foundations. If there is no possible sequence of moves that can uncover another card or move a card to a foundation, the game displays NO WAY FORWARD, with options to undo moves or start a new game.
There is no points-based scoring. Instead, your result shows how many cards you moved to the foundations, along with your moves and time. Winning games are ranked by time first, then moves, with your fastest win and fewest moves remembered separately for Yukon and Russian.
Yukon Solitaire strategy and tips
Focus on uncovering face-down cards
Revealing hidden cards should be one of your main priorities. Look for moves that expose face-down cards, particularly in the longer columns where more cards are hidden. Each newly revealed card gives you another opportunity to build sequences and make progress towards the foundations.
Make the most of moving groups
Yukon lets you move any face-up card along with everything sitting on top of it, even when those cards are out of order. This means you can move a whole group to reach a useful card buried underneath. Look beyond the top cards and consider how moving a group could uncover hidden cards or open up new moves.
Think before emptying a column
Only Kings can fill empty columns, so clearing a space is most useful when you have a King ready to move into it. An empty column without an available King gives you fewer immediate options. Before making the final move out of a column, check which Kings you can access.
Choose carefully between available Kings
When you have an empty column and more than one King available, consider which one will help you make the most progress. Moving a King with cards on top of it may free up another column or help uncover a face-down card. Think about what each choice makes possible before committing.
Don't rush every card to the foundations
Moving cards to the foundations brings you closer to winning, but some cards may still be useful for building sequences in the columns. Before moving a card home, check whether another card needs to be placed on it. You can move cards back from a foundation if you need them later.
Plan by suit in Russian Solitaire
Russian rules require cards to be built down in the same suit rather than alternating colours. This makes it important to look for useful connections between cards of the same suit before moving groups. With only around 7% of deals winnable under perfect play, careful planning is especially valuable.
Use Undo and Hint to explore alternatives
Unlimited Undo lets you try different moves without losing your progress, including turning an uncovered card face down again when you reverse a move. If you're unsure what to do next, press Hint for ranked suggestions with explanations. Hints only use visible cards, so they won't reveal anything hidden in the face-down columns.
Learn from deals you've already played
After a game, Was it winnable? checks whether that exact deal could have been won, although some difficult deals may return NOT WORKED OUT IN TIME. If you want to try a different approach, use Replay to revisit the same deal. Comparing your attempts can help you recognise better moves and understand where you might have gone wrong.
Yukon Solitaire FAQs
How do you play Yukon Solitaire?
The aim is to move all 52 cards from seven columns onto four foundations, building each suit from Ace to King. On the columns, build down in alternating colours and move any face-up card along with all the cards on top of it. Try to uncover the face-down cards to create more opportunities to move.
How is Yukon Solitaire different from Klondike?
Yukon is similar to Klondike, but all 52 cards are dealt into seven columns, with no stock or waste pile. You can also move any face-up card together with the cards sitting on top of it, even when they are not arranged in sequence.
Can you move cards that are not in order in Yukon Solitaire?
Yes. You can move any face-up card together with every card sitting on top of it, regardless of whether those cards are in order. Only the card being placed must follow the building rule, such as a red 8 onto a black 9 in Yukon.
What can go in an empty column in Yukon Solitaire?
Only a King can be placed into an empty column. You can move a King on its own or together with any cards sitting on top of it. Empty columns are particularly useful when you have a King ready to move.
What is Russian Solitaire?
Russian Solitaire uses the same deal and group-moving rules as Yukon, but cards must be built down in the same suit rather than alternating colours. It is much harder, with only around 7% of deals winnable under perfect play. The Winnable deals only setting is enabled by default for Russian.
Is every game of Yukon Solitaire winnable?
No. Solver results show that around 85 to 90% of Yukon deals can be won with perfect play, compared with about 7% of Russian deals. You can enable Winnable deals only to receive hands proven to be winnable, and the Was it winnable? feature checks your deal after playing.
What is the Daily deal in Yukon Solitaire?
The Daily deal gives everyone the same proven-winnable hand each day, based on the UK date, with separate deals for Yukon and Russian. Your first attempt counts towards your Daily result, and you can build a streak and share your result as plain text.