Board Patience

Open Display • Logical Sequencing • The Purist's Fan Game
Board Patience

Board Patience is a captivating "open" solitaire variant where the element of surprise is replaced by pure tactical depth. All 52 cards are dealt face-up into a series of columns, allowing you to scan the entire board before making your first move. It is a game of perfect information, challenging you to sequence your moves perfectly to clear the board.

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How to Play

1

The Open Deal

The entire deck is dealt face-up into 12 or 13 tableau columns (fans). Because every card is visible, there are no hidden surprises—just a logical puzzle to solve.

2

Build the Foundations

Your goal is to move all cards to the four foundation piles, starting with Aces and building up by suit through to the King.

3

Tableau Movement

You can move the top card of any column onto another card that is one rank higher and of the same suit. Some variations allow building regardless of suit, so check the rules as you play!

4

Empty Column Strategy

Clearing a column creates a powerful "free space." In most versions of Board Patience, any available card can be moved to an empty slot to help unblock buried cards.

Board Briefing

Is it similar to FreeCell?
It shares the "perfect information" aspect of FreeCell, but uses more columns and typically lacks the dedicated four "cell" spots, relying instead on empty tableau columns for maneuverability.

What is the difficulty?
Board Patience is considered a medium-difficulty game. While luck is removed from the deal, a single wrong sequence can lead to a "locked" board that cannot be solved.