Alaska Solitaire - Play Online Free
Alaska Solitaire is a distinctive member of the Yukon family that pairs Yukon's powerful move-any-card freedom with a uniquely demanding building rule: tableau columns must be built in the same suit, but cards may go either up or down by one rank. That bidirectional same-suit constraint is tighter than standard Yukon's alternating colors, making Alaska a genuinely challenging game that rewards careful planning and precise sequencing. This free online Alaska Solitaire plays instantly in your browser — no download and no sign-up.
What Is Alaska Solitaire?
Alaska is a single-player card game played with one standard 52-card deck. All 52 cards are dealt into seven tableau columns in the Yukon staircase pattern — five cards face-up per column — with no stock pile, and the goal is to build four foundations up from Ace to King by suit. As in Yukon, you may move any face-up card together with the whole stack resting on top of it, regardless of order, making it possible to dig out buried cards in a single move.
What defines the alaska game is its building rule. A card may be placed on another card of the same suit that is exactly one rank higher or one rank lower — so the 9♠ can land on the 10♠ or the 8♠, but not on any heart, diamond, or club. This bidirectional same-suit rule gives the game its unusual character: you have some flexibility in which direction a sequence flows, but the same-suit restriction sharply limits where any given card can go. The result is a challenging, planning-heavy variant that is notably harder than Yukon.
How to Play Alaska
Setup and Deal
Deal all 52 cards into seven columns in the Yukon pattern: one card in the first column, then increasing stacks, with five cards dealt face-up in each column. There is no stock pile — every card is on the board from the start — and four foundations wait to be built from Ace to King by suit.
Objective
Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, building each suit upward from Ace to King. You reach this by reorganizing the tableau into same-suit sequences (which can run either up or down), using the move-any-card rule to free buried cards, and placing Kings in empty columns. Clear the whole board to win.
Rules
- Build tableau columns in the same suit only — a card may be placed on a same-suit card one rank higher or one rank lower (bidirectional).
- Move any face-up card — and all cards on top of it — to a valid target, regardless of whether they form a proper sequence.
- Only Kings (or groups headed by a King) can fill empty columns.
- No stock pile — all 52 cards are dealt to the tableau at the start.
- Build foundation piles from Ace to King by suit.
Alaska Strategy Tips
- Think in suits from the start — same-suit building is strict, so track where each suit's cards are and plan which column will host each suit's run.
- Use the bidirectional rule strategically: a sequence can run upward or downward in the same suit, so choose the direction that keeps more of the suit together.
- Prioritize uncovering the face-down portions of each column, since each reveal adds new options.
- Empty columns are precious — fill them only with Kings that unlock significant progress elsewhere.
- The free-movement rule lets you relocate disordered stacks, so plan several moves ahead before committing to a big reorganization.
- Avoid burying Aces and low cards under large stacks, since you need them to start and advance the foundations.
Alaska vs. Yukon and Russian Solitaire
All three members of the Yukon family share the same open board and move-any-card freedom, but differ in their building rule. Yukon builds by alternating colors, which gives you a moderate number of legal placements. Russian Solitaire builds strict same-suit descending only, which is the most constrained. Alaska builds same-suit but bidirectionally (up or down), sitting between the two: more restrictive than Yukon's alternating colors, but with a small additional flexibility compared to Russian's one-direction-only same-suit. That bidirectional twist gives Alaska its own character — challenging, but with occasional surprising unlocks when the upward direction saves a move you thought was blocked.
Tips for Beginners
New to Alaska? The most important habit to build is thinking in suits before you move. Unlike Yukon, where any suit can stack on any other, every placement in Alaska must match the suit of the card below — and the bidirectional rule means you can go higher or lower, so look both ways before deciding. Prioritize uncovering face-down cards, plan which column will gather each suit, and save empty columns for Kings. Unlimited undo is your best teacher: use it to test different orderings and see how same-suit bidirectional building opens and closes options.
Play Alaska Solitaire Free Online — No Download
You can play Alaska Solitaire free online right here, with no download and no sign-up. The game runs in your browser on desktop, tablet, and phone, so this challenging Yukon variant is always within reach. With its same-suit bidirectional building and move-any-card freedom, Alaska is a strategic, planning-heavy game for players who want more than standard Yukon has to offer. Every deal is a demanding puzzle that rewards careful thought.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Alaska different from Yukon?
Alaska uses same-suit building instead of Yukon's alternating-color rule, and uniquely allows building in either direction — a card may go on a same-suit card one rank higher or one rank lower. This makes legal placements much rarer than in Yukon, producing a harder, more demanding game.
Is Alaska easy or hard compared to other Yukon variants?
Alaska is harder than standard Yukon because same-suit building is far more restrictive than alternating colors. The bidirectional rule adds a small amount of flexibility, but the same-suit constraint dominates — expect a lower win rate and a game that demands careful planning.
What does "bidirectional building" mean in Alaska?
It means a card can be placed on a same-suit card that is one rank higher or one rank lower. For example, the 9♥ can go on the 10♥ or the 8♥, but never on any spade, diamond, or club. This lets sequences zigzag in rank as long as the suit stays the same.
What can fill an empty column in Alaska?
Only a King, or a group of cards headed by a King, can be placed in an empty tableau column. Plan your empty columns around Kings that will unlock the most buried cards.
Does Alaska have a stock pile?
No. All 52 cards are dealt to the tableau at the start, so there is no stock to draw from. You work entirely with the cards on the board, most of which are face-up from the beginning.
How does the move-any-card rule work in Alaska?
Any face-up card, along with every card resting on top of it, can be lifted and moved as a unit to a valid target — a same-suit card one rank above or below the card being moved. The cards you bring along do not need to form a proper sequence; they just come for the ride.
What is the best strategy for Alaska?
Think in suits: plan which column will host each suit's sequence and keep same-suit cards together. Use the bidirectional rule to find placements that might not be obvious at first glance. Uncover face-down cards early, and reserve empty columns for Kings that free the most buried cards.
Is Alaska Solitaire free to play?
Yes. This Alaska Solitaire is completely free — no download, no sign-up, and no fees. Just open the page and play in your browser on any device.
