Count the empty cells before choosing a group move. This small check explains most rejected Eight Off transfers. Unlike FreeCell, empty tableau columns do not increase the limit.
Eight Off Solitaire · FreeCell
Layout and rules
One 52-card deck is dealt into eight face-up columns of six. The last four cards occupy cells 1–4; cells 5–8 begin empty. There is no stock or redeal.
Build tableau columns down by suit: 7♠ fits on 8♠; 7♥ and 6♠ do not. Only a King, or a suited run led by a King, may enter an empty column. Ranks never wrap.
Move an exposed suited run of at most empty cells + 1 cards. With two empty cells, 9♠–8♠–7♠ may move onto 10♠. With one empty cell the same move is illegal. Empty columns add no capacity; count cells before the move.
Each cell holds one card. Move one exposed card into an empty cell, including from another cell. Cell cards may move to a matching tableau card, a King-only space, or their foundation.
Build four foundations from Ace to King by suit, one exposed card at a time. Foundation cards cannot return to play; Undo can reverse the action. Move all 52 cards to the foundations to win.
Count a transfer before you move
Example position (excerpt): column 1 ends in 9♠–8♠–7♠ and column 2 exposes 10♠. With two empty cells, move 7♠ into one, 8♠ into the other, 9♠ onto 10♠, then return 8♠ and 7♠ in order. The group shortcut has exactly the same result, and Undo reverses it atomically.
Now occupy one of those cells. Only one temporary slot remains, so the three-card shortcut is illegal. An empty column does not help: neither 7♠ nor 8♠ is a King. If a cell contains a card that can leave for its foundation or a suited tableau successor, release that cell first and reconsider the run.
Example position (excerpt): K♣–Q♣–J♣ is exposed beside an empty column. It needs two empty cells. With one empty cell, clearing the column alone has not made the group movable. Compare a move that opens a second cell with a move that occupies another one; the first enables the King-led transfer, while the second reduces your options.
Three decisions to practise
Release a cell with a purpose
Moving a cell card onto its suited successor opens storage and raises the group limit by one. Check which useful run this makes movable.
Prepare a King before clearing a column
An empty column can only accept a King. Locate its suited run and count the empty cells needed before making room.
Keep long runs mobile
With four empty cells you can move five cards; with eight empty cells, nine. A longer run can become stuck until more cells are freed.
FreeCell and assistance
Eight Off has eight cells, four initially occupied, and builds down by suit. FreeCell has four initially empty cells and builds in alternating colors. Eight Off permits only Kings in spaces and does not use the FreeCell empty-column multiplier.
Baker’s Game also builds down by suit and normally starts with four empty cells. Its empty-space rules vary: Solitaired permits any card, while eSolutions specifies Kings. Check the exact version before carrying those rules into Eight Off. Cards4 does not currently offer Baker’s Game.
Random does not mean proven winnable. A legal hint may lead to a reversible cycle, and a board with legal cell shuffles is kept active even if no useful continuation is known. Auto-complete is offered only when simulation can finish using foundation moves alone.
Drag to a highlighted pile, or tap a source and then its destination. Numbered pile and suit buttons also select destinations. Keyboard: choose the card or run and destination in the menus, then activate Move. Escape clears selection and hints.
Undo reverses a group transfer in one step. Reset repeats the deal; New game starts another. Progress saves automatically after a pause in actions. Hints suggest legal actions, not a winning solution. Auto-complete appears only after a foundation-only finish is verified.
FAQ
Why do four cells start occupied?
The tableau uses 48 cards. The last four cards are dealt into the first four of the eight cells, leaving four available for temporary storage.
What can fill an empty column?
Only a King or a King-led suited run. Cards4 uses the King-only default; any-card spaces are not offered.
How many cards can I move together?
At most the number of empty cells before the move plus one: zero empty cells permits one card, two permits three, and eight permits nine. Empty columns do not multiply this limit.
Can I move cards back from a foundation?
No. Foundation cards stay fixed in this ruleset. Use Undo to reverse a prior move.