Forty Thieves - Play Online Free
Forty Thieves is a classic two-deck solitaire famous for its difficulty and its open, all-cards-visible tableau. Ten columns of four face-up cards give you complete information, but two strict rules — same-suit building and single-card moves only — make it one of the hardest standard solitaires, with only about one deal in ten solvable. Also known as Napoleon at St. Helena, it is the connoisseur's patience: demanding, deliberate, and deeply rewarding when you finally crack a deal. This free online Forty Thieves plays instantly in your browser — no download and no sign-up.
What Is Forty Thieves Solitaire?
Forty Thieves is a single-player card game played with two standard decks shuffled together — 104 cards in all. Forty of them are dealt face-up into ten tableau columns of four, which is where the name comes from, and the remaining sixty-four form a large stock that you turn one card at a time. The objective is to build eight foundation piles up from Ace to King by suit, emptying both the tableau and the stock in the process.
What makes the forty thieves solitaire game so notoriously tough is the combination of three constraints. Tableau building is strictly same-suit, so a card may rest only on another of the identical suit one rank higher. Cards move one at a time, with no group moves to reorganize a column in a single action. And the stock allows no redeals, so every card you turn is a one-time chance. Searched as "forty thieves solitaire" and "Napoleon at St. Helena," it is the game serious solitaire players reach for when they want a real test of foresight.
How to Play Forty Thieves — Complete Rules
Setup and Deal
Shuffle two decks together for 104 cards. Deal 40 of them face-up into ten columns of four cards each — every tableau card is visible from the start. The remaining 64 cards form a face-down stock at the side. Eight foundation piles will be built above the tableau, one for each suit of each deck, from Ace up to King.
Objective
Move all 104 cards to the eight foundations, building each pile up from Ace to King in a single suit. To get there you arrange tableau cards into descending same-suit runs, draw from the stock when you run out of plays, and feed cards onto the foundations as they become available. The game is won when all eight foundations are complete.
Player Actions
- Build down in suit — Place a card on the exposed bottom card of a column when it is the same suit and one rank lower, such as the 8 of hearts on the 9 of hearts.
- Move one card at a time — Only a single exposed card may be moved per action; there are no group moves, so reorganizing a column takes many careful steps.
- Fill empty columns — Any card may be placed into an empty column, making empty columns the primary workspace for untangling the board.
- Draw from the stock — When you have no useful tableau play, turn the top stock card to the waste pile; its top card is available to play to the tableau or a foundation.
- Build the foundations — Send Aces up first, then play each suit upward in order. With two decks, each suit is built twice.
- No redeals — Once the stock is exhausted there are no second passes, so spend your draws wisely.
Forty Thieves Strategy Guide
1. Make Every Single-Card Move Count
Because you can only move one card at a time, there is no quick way to undo a poorly placed card. Before each move, ask whether it genuinely advances your position or merely shuffles cards around. In Forty Thieves a wasted move is expensive, since rebuilding a column the slow, one-card way can cost you the resources you needed elsewhere.
2. Protect and Use Empty Columns
Empty columns are the lifeblood of Forty Thieves. They let you relocate cards, dig out buried foundation cards, and stage same-suit runs one card at a time. Avoid filling an empty column unless the move clearly serves your plan — an empty column held in reserve is worth far more than a single card dropped into it, because it is your only real tool for reorganizing the board.
3. Rush the Foundations Early
Every card you send to a foundation is one fewer card cluttering the tableau and stock. Prioritize freeing Aces and Twos quickly and keep the foundations climbing whenever you safely can. Because the game is so cramped, reducing the number of cards in play early gives your later moves more room to breathe and improves your slim odds of clearing the deal.
4. Hunt for Same-Suit Sequences
Same-suit building is the central restriction, so consciously look for chances to place cards on their own suit and grow descending same-suit runs. A tidy same-suit run keeps cards available in a useful order and reduces how often you must park cards in empty columns. Fighting the same-suit rule is the fastest way to lose; working with it is how you win.
5. Plan Around the Stock Before You Draw
With sixty-four cards in the stock and no redeals, the draw pile is where most of the game hides. Exhaust your useful tableau plays before turning a new card, and when you do draw, have a destination in mind. Drawing aimlessly buries cards in the waste pile that you may never reach again, so treat each draw as a deliberate decision rather than a reflex.
6. Read the Whole Board First
All forty tableau cards are visible from the start, so spend time studying them before your opening move. Note where key low cards are buried and how many of each suit you can already see. The best Forty Thieves players form a plan for the opening sequence in advance, because the game is far too tight to recover from a careless start.
Forty Thieves Odds and Win Rate
Forty Thieves is among the hardest mainstream solitaires, and its difficulty comes from stacking several restrictions at once. Here is how its winnability compares with its more relaxed relatives:
| Game | Build Rule | Moves | Approx. Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forty Thieves | Same suit | Single card | ~10% |
| Streets and Alleys | Any suit | Single card | ~30% |
| Lucas | Same suit, Aces placed | Single card | ~15% |
| Limited | Same suit, 12 columns | Single card | ~12% |
Only about 10% of Forty Thieves deals are solvable with strong play, which means most deals genuinely cannot be won — and that is precisely the appeal for experienced players. With unlimited undo in this online version you can experiment freely, and learning to recognize which deals are winnable, then executing the careful single-card line that clears them, is one of the most satisfying achievements in all of solitaire.
Forty Thieves Variants
A whole family of games softens Forty Thieves' harsh rules. Streets and Alleys drops the stock entirely and allows any-suit building across thirteen columns, making it far more accessible. Limited uses twelve columns of three cards for a slightly different opening. Lucas pre-places the eight Aces on the foundations to give you a head start. Other relatives such as Josephine and Maria adjust the number of columns or allow group moves. Each variant keeps the distinctive two-deck, open-tableau feel of the forty thieves solitaire game while easing one constraint or another, so there is a difficulty for every taste.
Forty Thieves vs. Other Solitaire Games
Compared with Klondike, Forty Thieves is a different beast: it uses two decks instead of one, deals every tableau card face-up, and builds eight foundations rather than four. Where Klondike hides cards and turns on the luck of the draw, Forty Thieves shows you the whole tableau but punishes you with same-suit building and single-card moves. The result is a game with far more information yet a much lower win rate.
Against FreeCell, the contrast is the absence of free cells. FreeCell gives you four storage slots that make nearly every deal winnable; Forty Thieves offers no such cushion, leaving empty columns as your only workspace. This is why Forty Thieves feels so unforgiving — you have FreeCell-level visibility with none of its safety net. For players who have conquered the easier open solitaires, Napoleon at St. Helena is the natural summit to attempt.
Advanced Forty Thieves Techniques
Mastering Forty Thieves means thinking in terms of column economy. With single-card moves, relocating a buried card can cost a dozen separate actions and consume an empty column, so before you start such an operation you must be sure it pays for itself. Expert players count the moves a reorganization will take and the empty columns it will tie up, then ask whether the cards freed at the end justify the cost. Often the right play is to wait, advance the foundations elsewhere, and attempt the dig only once a second empty column gives you room to maneuver.
The other advanced discipline is stock management as a planning problem rather than a reflex. Because there are no redeals and you draw one at a time, the order in which cards leave the stock is fixed, and burying a needed card under waste can doom a deal. Strong players hold off on drawing until they have squeezed every safe tableau play from the current position, and they think about what the next few stock cards are likely to enable before committing. Combined with aggressive early foundation building, this patient, accounting-minded approach is what lets the rare winnable Forty Thieves deal actually be won.
History of Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves is one of the most storied two-deck patiences, traditionally linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, who is said to have played it during his exile on the island of St. Helena — which is why the game is also called Napoleon at St. Helena. The name "Forty Thieves" itself refers to the forty cards dealt to the opening tableau, evoking the tale of Ali Baba. The game became a staple of Victorian patience collections and carried its fearsome reputation into the computer era, where its low win rate made it a badge of honor among solitaire enthusiasts who wanted the toughest standard challenge available.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making moves that merely shuffle cards around instead of advancing your plan.
- Filling an empty column carelessly and losing your only real workspace.
- Neglecting the foundations and letting cards pile up uselessly in the tableau.
- Stacking by alternating color out of habit — only same-suit builds are legal here.
- Drawing from the stock without a destination and burying cards in the waste.
- Diving in without studying the forty visible tableau cards first.
Tips for Beginners
New to Forty Thieves? Brace yourself — this is a hard game, and losing most deals is normal even for experts. Start by reading the whole tableau and finding the Aces, then push the foundations upward as fast as you safely can. Guard your empty columns and build same-suit runs whenever possible, since those are your only tools for reorganizing. Above all, use undo to learn: experiment with different opening lines, watch where deals go wrong, and treat each game as a puzzle. Clearing even one deal in ten is a genuine accomplishment.
Play Forty Thieves Free Online — No Download
You can play Forty Thieves free online right here, with no download and no sign-up. The game runs in your browser on desktop, tablet, and phone, so a full two-deck challenge is always within reach. With its open tableau, same-suit building, and famously low win rate, Forty Thieves — Napoleon's own patience — is the ultimate test for solitaire players who want to prove their planning skills. Every deal is a demanding puzzle, and every win is hard-earned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Forty Thieves Solitaire?
Deal 40 of 104 cards (two decks) face-up into ten columns of four. Build descending same-suit runs in the tableau, moving one card at a time, and draw single cards from the 64-card stock with no redeals. Build eight foundations up from Ace to King by suit, and clear every card to win.
Why is Forty Thieves considered so difficult?
Three rules combine to make it hard: same-suit building severely limits where cards can go, single-card-only moves prevent quick reorganization, and there are no redeals, so each stock card is a one-time chance. Only about 10% of deals are solvable.
What is the origin of the name Forty Thieves?
The name refers to the 40 cards initially dealt to the tableau (ten columns of four). The game is also called Napoleon at St. Helena because Napoleon reportedly played it during his exile on that island.
What percentage of Forty Thieves deals are solvable?
Roughly 10% with strong play, making it one of the hardest standard solitaire games. Most deals genuinely cannot be won, so recognizing winnable deals is part of the skill.
Are there easier versions of Forty Thieves?
Yes. Streets and Alleys allows any-suit building and removes the stock, Lucas pre-places the Aces on foundations, and Limited uses twelve columns of three. Each variant relaxes one of the harsh rules to make the game more accessible.
Can you move groups of cards in Forty Thieves?
No. Standard Forty Thieves allows only single-card moves, so a sequence must be relocated one card at a time, usually by parking cards in empty columns. This restriction is a major source of the game's difficulty.
Is Forty Thieves Solitaire free to play?
Yes. This Forty Thieves is completely free — no download, no sign-up, and no fees. Just open the page and play in your browser on any device.
How long does a game of Forty Thieves take?
A full game typically takes 15–25 minutes because of the heavy planning and one-card-at-a-time pace. With two decks and a large stock, it is one of the longer solitaire games.
Is Forty Thieves a game of luck or skill?
Heavily skill-based on the rare winnable deals, but luck sets the ceiling. Because only about 10% of deals are solvable, the deal itself decides whether a win is even possible — and on those deals, careful single-card planning is what separates success from failure.
What is the best way to improve at Forty Thieves?
Use unlimited undo to experiment and study where deals go wrong. Focus on three habits: pushing the foundations up early, guarding empty columns, and never drawing from the stock without a destination. Over time you will recognize winnable deals faster and execute them more cleanly.