Spider Solitaire Variants

Spider Solitaire Variants

Spider Solitaire has inspired a rich family of related games. From the standard difficulty levels to entirely different layouts and rules, there is a Spider variant for every skill level and preference. Here are the most notable variants and how they differ from the classic game.

Standard Difficulty Levels

The most common Spider variants differ only in the number of suits used. All three use the same 104-card, ten-column layout and follow identical rules.

1-Suit Spider (Beginner)

All 104 cards are Spades. Since every card is the same suit, all descending sequences are automatically in-suit, and any group of ordered cards can be moved together. This eliminates the suit-management challenge and makes the game primarily about ordering. Nearly every 1-suit deal is winnable with careful play (estimated 99% win rate), making it ideal for learning the basics of Spider Solitaire.

2-Suit Spider (Intermediate)

The game uses two suits, typically Spades and Hearts (one red, one black), with 52 cards of each suit. Suit management becomes important since only half the cards encountered will match any given suit. Players must balance building in-suit sequences with making practical off-suit moves. Win rates drop to roughly 25-35% with skilled play. This is the most popular difficulty level for intermediate players.

4-Suit Spider (Expert)

All four suits are used (26 cards each). Only one in four cards will match any specific suit, making in-suit builds much harder to achieve. This is the most challenging standard variant, with win rates estimated at 8-15% even with expert play. Mastering 4-suit Spider requires deep strategic thinking, careful planning, and efficient use of empty columns.

Spiderette

Spiderette is a scaled-down version of Spider that uses a single 52-card deck instead of two. It is sometimes called “Baby Spider” or “Spider One Deck.”

• Cards: One standard 52-card deck.
• Layout: Seven tableau columns (like Klondike), with one card in the first column, two in the second, and so on, up to seven in the seventh column. Only the top card of each column is face-up.
• Stock: The remaining 24 cards form the stock, dealt in groups of seven (one to each column).
• Objective: Build four complete King-to-Ace same-suit sequences.
• Difficulty: Easier to set up and quicker to play than full Spider, but can be quite challenging since there are fewer columns and less room to maneuver.

Spiderwort

Spiderwort is an expanded variant that uses three standard decks (156 cards) for an even grander challenge.

• Cards: Three standard 52-card decks shuffled together (156 cards).
• Layout: Thirteen tableau columns, with cards dealt in a pattern similar to standard Spider but extended.
• Objective: Build twelve complete King-to-Ace same-suit sequences.
• Difficulty: Extremely challenging due to the sheer number of cards and the complexity of managing thirteen columns. Games can last well over an hour.

Simple Simon

Simple Simon is a Spider-like game that uses a single deck and deals all cards face-up from the start, making it a game of pure strategy with no hidden information.

• Cards: One standard 52-card deck.
• Layout: Ten tableau columns with all cards dealt face-up. The first three columns receive eight cards each, the next four receive seven, then decreasing numbers for the remaining columns.
• Stock: No stock pile. All cards are dealt at the start.
• Rules: Cards can only be built on cards of the same suit or moved to empty columns. This is stricter than standard Spider, which allows off-suit building.
• Difficulty: Because all cards are visible, every game is theoretically solvable through analysis alone. In practice, the combinations can be very complex.

Scorpion

Scorpion is related to Spider but plays quite differently due to its unique movement rules.

• Cards: One standard 52-card deck.
• Layout: Seven tableau columns with seven cards each (49 cards), with the first three columns having their first four cards face-down. Three cards remain in reserve.
• Key Difference: Any face-up card can be moved along with all cards on top of it (regardless of sequence), as long as it is placed on a card of the same suit that is one rank higher. This makes movement more flexible but requires careful planning.
• Objective: Build four complete same-suit sequences from King to Ace within the tableau.

Mrs. Mop

Mrs. Mop is a two-deck Spider variant where all cards are dealt face-up, creating a pure strategy game similar to Simple Simon but at Spider’s full scale.

• Cards: Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards).
• Layout: Thirteen tableau columns with all cards face-up. There is no stock pile.
• Rules: Only same-suit sequences can be moved. Cards can be built on any card one rank higher of the same suit, or moved to empty columns.
• Difficulty: While all information is visible, the strict same-suit building rule and large number of cards make this a very challenging puzzle.

Variant Comparison