Scorpion is a one-deck game with a sting in it. You build long runs in a single suit, the way you do in Spider Solitaire, but you can pick up any face-up card and drag everything above it along, the way you do in Yukon. Almost the whole deck is on the table from the start, so most of the game is about untangling it.
Play it here free in your browser, on a computer or a phone. There is nothing to download and no account to make.
How to Play Scorpion Solitaire
Setup. One 52-card deck is dealt into seven columns of seven cards. In the first four columns, the first three cards dealt are face down. Every other card on the table is face up. The last three cards make a small stock in the corner.
Goal. Build each suit into one complete run from King down to Ace. A finished run leaves the table on its own. When all four suits are gone, you win.
Moves.
- Build down in the same suit only. The 8 of hearts goes on the 9 of hearts, and nothing else does.
- You can move any face-up card together with every card on top of it, in any order. Only the card you pick up has to fit.
- Only a King, with its stack, can go into an empty column.
- A face-down card turns over by itself when it is uncovered.
- Tap the stock once, at any time, to deal its three cards face up: one onto each of the first three columns. That is the only deal.
Controls. Drag a card, or tap it to send it to the best legal spot (tap-to-move can be turned off in Settings). Undo and Redo are unlimited, Restart replays the same deal, and Hint suggests a useful move (or says it found none). Shortcuts: Ctrl or Cmd+Z to undo, Ctrl+Y to redo, H for a hint, N for a new game. Settings also cover the card back and sound.
The toolbar shows the timer, move counter and deal number. Add ?deal=NUMBER to the page address to replay a deal.
Your statistics (games won, win rate, streaks, best time) and any unfinished game are saved in this browser.
Scorpion Strategy Tips
- Free the face-down cards first. Twelve cards are hidden in the first four columns. Until you see them, every plan is a guess. Look for moves that lift stacks off columns one through four.
- Hold the stock. The three stock cards land on columns one, two and three. Dealt early, they can pile onto the very cards you are trying to dig out. Deal them once those columns are open or once you are truly stuck.
- Find the Kings that are blocking. A King sitting low in a column with a mess on top of it is your biggest problem, because it can only move to an empty column. Work out early how you will clear a column for it.
- Watch for cards buried under their own suit. If the 6 of spades sits under the 7 of spades in the same column, you cannot finish that run without moving the 7 and its pile somewhere else. Spot these traps early.
- Grab big stacks when they fit. If the 10 of clubs is open and the 9 of clubs is eight cards deep somewhere, move the 9 with all eight cards. The cards on top come along for free and you get the 9 where it belongs.
- Count before you fill an empty column. Do not move a King just because a column is open. Choose the King whose move uncovers the most, or the one sitting on a card you need.
- Lean on undo. Scorpion punishes one careless move. Test a sequence, and back up if it locks a suit.
More Games Like Scorpion
If you like Scorpion, Yukon Solitaire uses the same stack-moving rule with alternating colors, which is friendlier. Spider has the same King-to-Ace runs on a bigger, two-deck table. For something calmer, try Klondike Solitaire or FreeCell.
Scorpion Solitaire FAQ
How do cards reach the foundations in Scorpion?
Not one at a time. When a column ends in a complete run of one suit from King down to Ace, those 13 cards leave the table on their own. Clear all four suits and you win.
When should I deal the three stock cards?
Whenever it helps. You can tap the stock at any time, but only once. The three cards land face up on the first three columns, so they can bury cards you were about to move. Many players wait until the face-down cards in the first columns are turned up.
Can I move cards that are not in order?
Yes. Pick any face-up card and everything above it moves with it. Only the card you pick up has to fit: it must be the same suit and one rank lower than the card it lands on.
What can go into an empty column?
Only a King, together with any cards stacked on top of it.
How is Scorpion different from Spider?
Both games clear complete King-to-Ace runs of one suit. Spider uses two decks and deals a new row from the stock several times. Scorpion uses one deck, deals just three extra cards, and lets you move any face-up stack whether it is in order or not.
Is Scorpion free, and does it work on a phone?
Yes. It is free with no download and no sign-up, and it works in desktop and phone browsers. Your game in progress and your statistics are saved in the browser.
More solitaire games
- Klondike Solitaire The classic. Build four suits from Ace to King. Draw 1 or Draw 3, winnable deals.
- Spider Solitaire Two decks, ten columns. Clear runs from King down to Ace. 1, 2 or 4 suits.
- FreeCell Every card face up. Four free cells. Nearly every deal can be won.
- Pyramid Solitaire Pair cards that add up to 13 and clear the pyramid. Kings go alone. 1, 3 or unlimited passes.
- TriPeaks Solitaire Clear three peaks with cards one higher or lower. Long runs build a streak score.
- Golf Solitaire Seven columns, one waste pile. Play one rank up or down and finish with no cards left.
- Yukon Solitaire No stock to draw from. Move any face-up card with everything on top of it.
- Forty Thieves Two decks, ten columns, one card at a time, one pass through the stock.
- Canfield Solitaire Empty the 13-card reserve. Foundations start at a random rank and wrap King to Ace.
- Baker’s Dozen Thirteen open columns, Kings tucked underneath. Build down in any suit, one card at a time.
- Beleaguered Castle The Aces start on the foundations. Eight open rows, single-card moves, no free cells.
- Eight Off FreeCell’s roomier cousin: eight free cells, same-suit building, Kings only in empty columns.
- La Belle Lucie Eighteen fans of cards, same-suit building and two reshuffles. Play it classic or with the merci.
- Accordion Solitaire Squeeze a row of 52 cards into one pile by matching suit or rank, one or three spaces to the left.
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