Baker's Game is the solitaire that became FreeCell. If you have ever played FreeCell, you already know most of the rules. The single difference between the two games is how you build down on the layout: in Baker's Game you build down in the same suit, while in FreeCell you build down in alternating colors. That one change makes Baker's Game noticeably harder. Here are the rules, the history, and the exact differences. Learn why the baker's game solitaire setup is the direct ancestor of the more forgiving game many people play today.
What is Baker's Game?
Baker's Game is a one player card game that uses a standard 52 card deck. It was named after C. L. Baker, and Martin Gardner described it in his Scientific American column in 1968. The game is played on a layout with eight piles, four free cells, and four foundations. The entire deck is dealt face up into the eight piles: four piles get seven cards each and four piles get six cards each. The free cells and foundations start empty. The goal is to move all cards to the foundations, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.
Rules of Baker's Game
Move cards between piles, into empty free cells, and onto foundations. The restrictions on moves are what define the game.
Building On The Piles
Cards in the playing area are built down in the same suit. Place a card on top of another card only if it is the next lower rank and the same suit. For example, you can place the 5 of Hearts on the 6 of Hearts, but you cannot place the 5 of Hearts on the 6 of Spades. This is the only rule that differs from FreeCell.
Empty Slots
An empty pile can accept any card from the playing area or from a free cell. There is no restriction on rank or suit for the first card placed in an empty slot.
Free Cells
You have four free cells. Each free cell can hold exactly one card. Move a card from the playing area into an empty free cell. Move a card from a free cell back onto the playing area, as long as the building rule is followed. Free cells act as temporary holding spaces.
Foundations
The four foundations are built up in suit from Ace to King. Move a card from the playing area or from a free cell onto a foundation if it is the next rank in that suit. For example, if the Hearts foundation has the Ace, you can add the 2 of Hearts. Once a card is on a foundation it cannot be moved back.
Moving Groups of Cards
You cannot move a group of cards from one pile to another. You can only move the top card of a pile. To move a sequence, move cards one at a time, using free cells as temporary storage.
Where Baker's Game Came from
Baker's Game is named after C. L. Baker. Martin Gardner described the game in his Mathematical Games column in Scientific American in 1968. Gardner was known for popularizing mathematical puzzles and games, and his column brought Baker's Game to a wide audience. The game was played with physical cards, and the layout of eight piles, four free cells, and four foundations was part of the original description.
Ten years later, in 1978, Paul Alfille created FreeCell on the PLATO system. Alfille changed the building rule from same suit to alternating colors. That one change created a new game that was easier to win and became more popular than its predecessor. FreeCell is sometimes called a freecell same suit variant of Baker's Game, though it is more accurate to say that Baker's Game is the baker's game vs freecell original. The two games share the same layout and the same goal, but the building rule makes them play very differently.
Baker's Game vs FreeCell the Key Difference
The only rule difference between Baker's Game and FreeCell is the building rule on the playing area. In Baker's Game you build down in the same suit. In FreeCell you build down in alternating colors. That difference has a large effect on the game.
Same Suit vs Alternating Colors
Building in the same suit means you have far fewer legal landing spots for any given card. For example, if you have a 7 of Clubs on the playing area, the only card that can go on top of it is the 6 of Clubs. In FreeCell, the 7 of Clubs can accept the 6 of Clubs or the 6 of Spades, which gives you two options. Over the whole playing area, the number of legal moves in Baker's Game is roughly half the number in FreeCell. This makes Baker's Game harder to solve.
Winnability
Because building in suit gives fewer legal landing spots, more Baker's Game deals are unwinnable than FreeCell deals. Some deals that are solvable in FreeCell become impossible in Baker's Game. Players who are used to FreeCell will find that Baker's Game requires more planning and more use of free cells.
Why Baker's Game is Harder
The difficulty of Baker's Game comes directly from the suit building rule. With fewer places to put a card, you are more likely to get stuck. In FreeCell, you can use an empty slot or a free cell to rearrange cards. In Baker's Game, you may need to use those same resources just to make a single move possible.
Another factor is that sequences of cards in the same suit are harder to build. In FreeCell, you can build a sequence of alternating colors that is long and flexible. In Baker's Game, a sequence of cards in the same suit is rigid. If you have a run of Hearts in one pile, you cannot easily break it up because the cards are all the same suit. You must move them one at a time, and each move requires a legal landing spot that may not exist.
Players who enjoy a challenge may prefer Baker's Game. Players who want a higher win rate may prefer FreeCell. Both games reward skill over luck, but Baker's Game demands more careful thought.
How to Play Baker's Game
Set up the layout as described. Here is a step by step summary.
- Shuffle a standard 52 card deck.
- Deal the cards face up into eight piles. Four piles get seven cards, four piles get six cards. The free cells and foundations remain empty.
- Move cards according to the rules: build down in the same suit on the piles, build up in suit on the foundations, use free cells as temporary storage.
- Empty piles can take any card.
- The game is won when all cards are on the foundations, each foundation Ace to King in one suit.
If you are used to FreeCell, remember that you cannot build on a card of a different suit even if the color is the same. That is the main adjustment.
Baker's Game as an Ancestor of FreeCell
Baker's Game is the direct ancestor of FreeCell. Paul Alfille took the layout and the goal of Baker's Game and changed only the building rule. That change made FreeCell a distinct game. Today, many people know FreeCell but have never heard of Baker's Game. If you want to try the original, play it with a physical deck of cards. Some solitaire websites, like freecellsolitaire.info, offer a version of the game. The rules are simple to learn, but the game is hard to master.