Penguin Solitaire is one of the most elegant FreeCell variants. It starts with a 'beak' card that automatically seeds all four foundations, and builds same-suit sequences — making every game feel fresh and balanced.
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Play Free Penguin →The Penguin Setup
Penguin uses a single 52-card deck. The first card dealt — the "beak" card — goes directly to the first foundation. All three other cards of the same rank are immediately placed in the other three foundations. For example, if the beak is the 5 of Hearts, then 5♥, 5♠, 5♣, 5♦ are all placed in foundations at the start.
The remaining 48 cards are dealt face-up into 7 columns of 7 cards each (the last column gets 6). There are 7 free cells available.
How Foundations Work in Penguin
Foundations in Penguin build up by suit, but they wrap around. If the beak is a 5, foundations go 5→6→7→8→9→10→J→Q→K→A→2→3→4. You are building a complete circuit of 13 cards per suit, starting from the beak rank.
Tableau Rules
Tableau columns build in same-suit descending sequences. You can place a card on top of another if it is the same suit and one rank lower (wrapping if needed). For example, a 4♠ can go on a 5♠, and a K♠ can go on an A♠ (if A is one above K in the wrap sequence).
Empty columns can hold any card or sequence. With 7 free cells, you have significant flexibility — but same-suit sequencing is still restrictive.
Winning Penguin
Move all cards to the four foundations in suit order (starting from the beak rank). The wrapped structure means you need to think carefully about sequencing — a 4 placed on a 5 makes sense only if they are the same suit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the beak card in Penguin Solitaire?
The beak card is the first card dealt, and it seeds all four foundations. All four cards of that rank are immediately placed in the foundations, giving each foundation a starting card.
How many free cells does Penguin Solitaire have?
Penguin Solitaire has 7 free cells, compared to 4 in FreeCell. This extra flexibility helps offset the same-suit sequence restriction.
Do foundations wrap in Penguin Solitaire?
Yes — if the beak is a 5, foundations build 5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A-2-3-4. The sequence wraps around the deck.
Is Penguin Solitaire hard?
Penguin is moderately difficult. The same-suit building rule is restrictive, but the 7 free cells provide more flexibility than FreeCell. Win rates for skilled players are around 85-90%.
How is Penguin different from Baker's Game?
Both require same-suit sequences, but Penguin starts with foundations seeded at the beak rank, wraps around the deck, and gives you 7 free cells instead of 4. Baker's Game has a fixed Ace foundation start and 4 free cells.