Spider Solitaire V/S Other Solitaire Games - How Is Spider Different?

Solitaire is a popular game enjoyed by millions of gamers. The card game has been around for decades offering hours of endless entertainment and a way to kill boredom. You can thank Microsoft for introducing this simple yet challenging game that you cannot get enough of.

Owing to the undying popularity of the game, several variants quickly popped up across the Internet. Spider Solitaire rose in ranks and recognition because of its ability to provide an edge-of-the-seat experience and entertainment. Several online versions of Spider Solitaire are played with a standard deck of 52 cards and one suit.

What’s more, you can compete with online players for intense battles and participate in tournaments to win extra money. But before you download Spider Solitaire game, read the guide below to understand how this game is different from the other popular Solitaire variants.

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Spider Solitaire V/S Classic Solitaire

The number of suits: In classic Solitaire, all four suits are used, but in Spider Solitaire, you can select the number of suits you wish to use. Most Spider Solitaire games offer three difficulty levels – hard (three suits), medium (two suits), and easy (one suit). Some of them even use all four suits to increase the difficulty level. Unlike the classic version, players need to improve their skills before leveling up to the challenging games.
Stock: When playing Solitaire, players deal a single card from the stockpile. In Spider Solitaire, clicking the stockpile means adding a new card to each column in the tableau. The downside of this is that the new cards will be placed on top of the upward-facing cards, and if you had any possible moves before drawing cards from the stockpile, you could not play them anymore. You have to move the new cards first and then continue building sequences.
Sequencing cards: In both versions, you need to assemble the cards in the tableau in descending order. In Solitaire, the sequenced cards must be of alternating black and red suits. In Spider Solitaire, the cards must belong to the same suit.
The difficulty level: Spider Solitaire is considered the most difficult of all Solitaire games. Solving the game depends on how cards are dealt, and not all games are winnable. But the chances of winning classic Solitaire games are much higher.

Spider Solitaire V/s Klondike

The number of suits: Klondike comes closest to classic Solitaire regarding the game’s rules. The game uses all four suits. As you already know, Spider Solitaire doesn’t use all four suits. The number of suits used varies according to the game’s difficulty level.
The game setup and number of cards: In Spider Solitaire, two standard card decks are typically used. Out of the 104 cards, 54 are dealt into ten tableaus. There are six cards in the first four columns, and the remaining ones have five cards each. However, you will also find shorter versions of the game where only one standard deck is used. On the other hand, Klondike uses one standard deck and seven tableaus. There’s one card in the first column, two cards in the second column, and so on.
Sequencing cards: The cards must be arranged in descending order in both games. In Klondike, the cards are assembled, alternating between black and red suits. In Spider Solitaire, the cards belonging to the same suit must be assembled to form a relevant sequence.
Stock: Like classic Solitaire, Klondike gets only one card when players draw from the stockpile. In Spider Solitaire, drawing from the stockpile means new cards added to each column.

Spider Solitaire V/s FreeCell

The game setup: FreeCell is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, and the cards are divided into eight columns. On the other hand, Spider Solitaire is typically played with two standard decks of cards, and the cards are dealt to form ten columns. While all the cards face upwards in FreeCell, only the first card in each column faces upwards in Spider Solitaire.
The role of the aces: The role of the aces is what greatly differentiates Spider Solitaire from FreeCell Solitaire. While the latter sees the aces as the base of each suit because they form the foundation piles, the former uses aces as instruments to complete a sequence. In FreeCell, players can move the ace card to the foundation pile as soon as they find it. The same cannot be done in Spider Solitaire, and players need to complete a sequence before transferring all the thirteen cards to the foundation pile to score points.
The gameplay: In Spider Solitaire, you can use every available move and even get more cards from the stockpile. But players never know what cards will be dealt, and therefore, there’s the need to strategize or click Submit if the game isn’t solvable. In FreeCell, players are allowed to put the unnecessary cards on the free cells and use them again and again in the game. However, one must not recklessly use the free cells or quickly run out of moves.

Where To Play Solitaire And Spider Solitaire Online

There are a number of options to play solitaire online, but here are our recommendations:

Solitaire Bliss has over 30 solitaire games including Spider Solitaire and Classic Solitaire. You can create an account and track your best games and times
Spider Solitaire on Solitaired has a game of the day where you can see how you do compared to thousands of other players. You can play unlimited games, and play across difficulty level as well.
Solitaire King has a variety of solitaire games including Spider and Klondike
Play Solitaire has a full-screen game and a beautiful design

Summing Up

While all the Solitaire variants are entertaining, Spider Solitaire offers the most engagement. You can play the shorter version of Spider Solitaire to challenge yourself and compete against online players. You can even earn cash prizes and rewards if you have developed skills.

So, now that you know the differences, download the game and quickly learn the rules.