Play Eight Off solitaire online
Eight Off is one of the oldest games of the FreeCell family and a favourite of people who find FreeCell a little too easy to read. You get eight cells instead of four, which sounds generous, but the columns are built down in the same suit and an empty column takes only a king. The result is a tight, logical game in which nearly every deal can be won, but rarely by accident.
Play it here for free, with no download: drag or tap to move, undo as often as you like, and ask for a Hint from the built-in solver when you run out of ideas. Every game from the New game button has been solved first, so you are never working on an impossible deal.
Eight Off rules
- The deal. 48 cards go face up into eight columns of six. The last four cards are placed in four of the eight cells, so you start with four cells already in use.
- The goal. Build the four foundations up in suit from ace to king.
- Columns build down in suit. The 7 of clubs goes only on the 8 of clubs. Colour does not matter; suit does.
- Cells. Each of the eight cells holds one card. A card in a cell can go back to a column or up to a foundation at any time.
- Empty columns take only a king, or a run in suit that starts with a king.
- Moving runs. A run of one suit in order moves together if there are enough empty cells to move it card by card: empty cells plus one. Empty columns do not help, because only a king may enter them.
Some rule books let any card fill an empty column. This page plays the stricter and more common kings-only rule.
Eight Off and FreeCell compared
| FreeCell | Eight Off | |
|---|---|---|
| Cells | 4, all empty at the start | 8, four of them full at the start |
| Columns at the start | 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6 cards | six cards in each |
| Building in the columns | down in alternating colours | down in the same suit |
| Empty column | any card | kings only |
| Deals that can be won | 99.999% | more than 99% |
Building in suit has one pleasant side: a finished run in suit never gets in the way. Once the next card for a foundation is free, the whole run behind it can follow it up.
Eight Off strategy
- Look at the four cards in the cells first. They are part of the deal. A low card there is a gift; a king there needs an empty column before it stops costing you a cell.
- Count your cells before a long move. You can move one more card than you have empty cells. With three cells free, a run of four in suit moves; a run of five does not.
- Empty a column only when a king is ready. An empty column is useless to everything else, so do not spend cells clearing one unless you can bring a king, ideally one with its queen close by.
- Dig for aces and 2s. With only six cards in a column, nothing is very deep. Work out the cheapest column to dig through and commit to it.
- Join suits whenever you can. Every card you place on its own suit's next card is one that will go up to the foundation without help later.
- Keep two cells free. With fewer than two, you can hardly move a run at all, and the game seizes up.
More games in the FreeCell family
- FreeCell: the classic with one deck, four cells and alternating colours. Every deal can be won, and the Windows game numbers work.
- FreeCell Two Decks: 104 cards, ten columns and eight cells. Longer, roomier and very relaxing.
- Baker's Game: FreeCell's parent, built down in suit. Much harder than it looks.
FAQ
How do you play Eight Off solitaire?
Deal eight columns of six cards face up and put the last four cards in four of the eight cells. Build the columns down in the same suit, use the cells to hold single cards, put only kings into empty columns and build the four foundations up in suit from ace to king.
What is the difference between Eight Off and FreeCell?
Eight Off has eight cells instead of four, but four of them start full. Columns are built down in the same suit instead of alternating colours, and an empty column can be filled only by a king.
Can every game of Eight Off be won?
Almost every one: more than 99% of deals have a solution. The New game button here only deals games that a solver has already won, so the games it gives you can always be finished.
Can any card go into an empty column in Eight Off?
Not in the usual rules, and not on this page: only a king, or a run in suit headed by a king, may fill an empty column. Some rule books relax this and allow any card.
How many cards can I move at once in Eight Off?
One more than the number of empty cells. With all eight cells empty you could move nine cards of one suit in order; with two cells empty, three.
Is this Eight Off game free?
Yes. It is free in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone, with no download and no account.