How to Play Isabel Solitaire

Remove cards in matching pairs while building in the foundations as a bonus. This double-objective game gives you two ways to clear the board.

Setup

1. Thirteen tableau piles hold four cards each, all face up
2. Four foundation piles sit ready at the top

How to play

• Pair cards of the same rank together and drag one onto its partner to remove the pair
• Only top cards in the tableau piles are available to play
• As a bonus, you can build on the foundations: one rank higher in the same suit, with ranks wrapping (K continues to A)
• Any card can start a foundation pile
• Removed pairs go to the discard pile and do not create fillable spaces

How to win

Objective: Remove all cards by pairing cards of equal rank.

Win by clearing all 52 cards from the tableau, either by pairing them off or moving them onto the foundations. You're stuck if no pairs or foundation moves remain.

Tips

• Watch the foundations—they're a bonus but don't force cards there if it blocks pairing
• Plan which pairs to remove so you expose the cards you need next
• Remember that empty spaces don't accept new cards

Play Isabel free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Isabel 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 Pairing family:

• Nestor — A simple single-deck pairing game.
• Patient Pairs — Patient Pairs asks you to clear the whole tableau by matching up cards of equal rank, two at a time, using only the cards left uncovered at the top of each pile.
• Pile Up — A puzzle-style game where you organize cards into same-rank runs.
• Shuffle — A clever pairing game based on Neptune where you remove pairs of cards one rank apart.
• The Wish — A relaxing memory game using only high cards (7 through Ace).