How to Play Antares Solitaire

Antares blends two classic tableaus into one game: four piles play by FreeCell's alternating-color, single-card rules, and four piles play by Scorpion's same-suit, flexible-group rules, all feeding the same foundations and free cells. The goal: Move all 52 cards to the 4 foundation piles, built up by suit from Aces to Kings.

Setup

1. A single deck (52 cards) is shuffled
2. Deal 7 cards face-up to each of 4 left tableau piles
3. Deal 6 cards face-up to each of 4 right tableau piles
4. 4 empty foundation piles wait to receive Aces
5. 4 empty free cells are available to hold individual cards

How to play

• Cards automatically move to the foundations when no other moves are available for them; you can change this behavior in Settings
• Build foundations up in suit from Aces to Kings
• Left tableau (FreeCell rules): build down in alternating colors; only the top card can be moved
• Right tableau (Scorpion rules): build down in the same suit; any group of face-up cards can be moved together, even if not in perfect order, as long as the bottom card of the group fits where it lands
• Use free cells to temporarily hold one card each, freeing up cards underneath
• Empty left tableau spaces can be filled with any card; empty right tableau spaces can only be filled with a King or sequence starting with a King

How to win

Objective: Move all 52 cards to the 4 foundation piles, built up by suit from Aces to Kings.

You win when all 52 cards are moved to the foundations in proper suit sequence. You're stuck when free cells and tableau piles fill up with no legal moves remaining.

Tips

• Use free cells sparingly—they are valuable but limited resources
• The right tableau's flexibility allows more creative moves and makes it easier than the left; leverage that when stuck
• Plan sequences in the left tableau carefully since only top cards move

Play Antares free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Antares alongside 300+ other games. It saves every move as you play, so you can close the window and pick the game up later, replay any deal, and take on a new Daily Challenge deal every day. Browse every game in the Game Gallery.

Related games

More games from the FreeCell family:

• Baker's — A strategic solitaire in the FreeCell family, with four temporary storage cells and eight tableau piles where you build sequences in descending order by suit only—no alternating colors.
• Chinese FreeCell — A streamlined version of FreeCell using only Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds.
• Double Sea Towers — A two-deck FreeCell variant where nine temporary cells hold single cards, helping you maneuver through 11 tableau piles.
• Eight Off — This FreeCell relative gives you eight reserve cells to work with, but tableau sequences must stay within the same suit as you dig out buried cards.
• Eight On — This tougher cousin of Eight Off starts with all eight reserve cells already full, so you have no free storage until you clear one.