Play Thieves of Egypt Solitaire Online for Free

Play unlimited games of Thieves of Egypt Solitaire online for free. No download or email registration required – play in full screen mode on desktop, tablet, or mobile. Master the pyramid layout and alternating-colour building rules in this fluid two-deck challenge!

What is Thieves of Egypt Solitaire?

Thieves of Egypt Solitaire (often known as egyptian thieves solitaire) is one of the most popular, visually striking, and strategically deep variations of the classic Forty Thieves card game. It combines the epic two-deck scale of Forty Thieves with the familiar, user-friendly building rules of Klondike Solitaire. Featuring a unique staggered, pyramid-like tableau and the ability to build columns using alternating colours, playing Thieves of Egypt Solitaire online for free offers a highly engaging and solvable puzzle experience. It is the perfect free solitaire game for players who love massive layouts but prefer a more fluid, winnable challenge directly in their browser.

Pro Tip: Keyboard Shortcuts

Play faster and more comfortably like a pro using these quick hotkeys.

Ctrl / Cmd + Z

Undo your last move

H

Show a hint for the next move

Space

Draw a card from the Stock

How to Play Thieves of Egypt Solitaire

Thieves of Egypt uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). If you want to know how to play thieves of egypt solitaire, the main objective is to transfer all 104 cards into the eight foundation piles in the top-right corner, building each suit up from Ace to King.

Understanding the Playing Area

Thieves of Egypt Solitaire board layout showing staggered columns in a pyramid shape

The board layout of Thieves of Egypt Solitaire features 55 cards dealt face-up into a staggered, pyramid-like tableau of 10 columns. The stock pile (top-left) contains the remaining 49 cards, and the eight foundation piles (top-right) start empty.

Before dealing your first card, familiarise yourself with the zones on the board:

The Tableau: Ten columns of face-up cards dealt in a distinct, staggered shape. The columns start small on the left, peak in the middle, and decline on the right. The card counts are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 (55 cards total).
The Stock Pile & Waste: The remaining 49 cards form the stock pile (top-left). You draw one card at a time onto the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is playable. You only get one pass through the stock!
The Foundations: The eight empty slots in the top-right corner where you must assemble your cards by suit (two piles per suit) in ascending order, from Ace to King.

Tableau Building & Stacking Rules

Moving cards in Thieves of Egypt Solitaire showing alternating color placement

Moving cards in the tableau uses alternating colour placement. As shown in the move illustration, you can place a card onto another card only if it is one rank lower and of the opposite colour (like placing a Red 9 on a Black 10). You can also move properly sequenced alternating colour stacks together.

Thieves of Egypt adopts the familiar, forgiving stacking rules of classic Klondike solitaire:

Alternating Colours: In the tableau columns, you can place a card onto another card only if it is exactly one rank lower and of the opposite colour (for example, you can place a Black 7 on a Red 8).
Sequence Group Movement: You can move entire, unbroken stacks of cards in alternating colours. For instance, a stack of Red 9, Black 8, and Red 7 can be moved together onto a Black 10.
Empty Columns (The King Restriction): If a tableau column is cleared, you can only place a King (or a sequence starting with a King) into that empty column. This makes emptying columns highly strategic.

Moving Cards to Foundations

Moving cards to the foundation piles in Thieves of Egypt Solitaire

Piling cards onto foundations requires building in ascending order by suit. As shown in the foundation move illustration, you start with Aces and build up to Kings. Empty columns on the tableau can only be filled by Kings.

Foundation Construction: Every foundation pile must start with an Ace. Build up by suit (Ace, 2, 3… King).
Stock Draw Strategy: Deal cards from the stock pile to the waste pile. Since there are no redeals, evaluate the tableau first to see if any moves can be made before drawing a new card.

Thieves of Egypt Solitaire vs. Classic Forty Thieves Solitaire

Feature	Thieves of Egypt Solitaire	Classic Forty Thieves Solitaire
Deck Count	2 standard 104-card decks	2 standard 104-card decks
Initial Tableau Layout	55 cards dealt face-up in staggered pyramid shape	40 cards dealt face-up in 10 columns (4 per column)
Tableau Building Rules	Alternating colours in descending order	Descending order of the exact same suit
Stack Movement	Allowed (can move valid alternating colour sequences together)	Not Allowed (must move cards one single card at a time)
Empty Column Rules	Only Kings can fill empty columns	Any single card can fill empty columns
Stock Pile Size	49 reserve cards	64 reserve cards
Estimated Win Rate	~30% (Highly winnable with optimal play)	~10% (Very difficult)

Want to win more often?

Learn the secret strategies that top players use to beat Klondike Patience. From exposing hidden cards to smart stock management, we have you covered.

Learn Winning Strategies

Winning Strategies for Thieves of Egypt Solitaire

With 104 cards and a staggered layout, Thieves of Egypt is highly winnable but requires foresight. Play this thieves of egypt solitaire free online game and apply these expert strategies to conquer the board:

Attack the Staggered Center Columns: The middle columns contain 9 and 10 cards. Because all cards in the tableau are dealt face-up, locate the buried cards at the top of these long columns and focus on clearing them early.
Create Empty Columns for Kings: Since empty columns can only receive Kings, try to uncover a King first before clearing a column. Placing a King in an empty column lets you build long, stable sequences on the board.
Build Foundations in Parallel: With two decks, you have two of every card. Try to build your foundations up evenly. Rushing one “Clubs” pile to King while leaving the second “Clubs” pile empty can easily trap lower cards in the tableau.
Prioritize Tableau Moves: Always look for moves within the tableau columns before drawing from the stock pile. Drawing cards increases the size of the waste pile and can bury cards you need later.

Features of Our Free Thieves of Egypt Solitaire

Play Thieves of Egypt unblocked directly in your browser with these premium features:

Instant Browser Play: Play on any desktop or mobile device with no download and no sign-up required.
Premium Design: Smooth animations, clear card visuals, and layouts optimised for fast load times.
Smart Undo & Hints: Retrace steps if a sequence hits a dead end, or use hints to find hidden moves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Forty Thieves and Thieves of Egypt?

Thieves of Egypt uses a staggered, pyramid-like tableau layout instead of equal columns. More importantly, it uses Klondike-style building (alternating colours) rather than same-suit building, and allows you to move valid sequences.

How many decks are used in Thieves of Egypt?

Thieves of Egypt is played with two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.

Can I put any card into an empty column?

No. Unlike Josephine or regular Forty Thieves, in Thieves of Egypt, only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can be placed into an empty tableau column.

What is the history and origin of Thieves of Egypt Solitaire?

Thieves of Egypt Solitaire is a modern two-deck hybrid variant. It was created to combine the grand scale of Forty Thieves with the more dynamic, popular building mechanics of Klondike Solitaire (alternating colours instead of same-suit building). The name and pyramid-like setup pay homage to the Egyptian theme often associated with early solitaire games.

What other games are in the Forty Thieves solitaire family?

If you enjoy Thieves of Egypt, you can try other games in the same family. Play the classic, highly challenging Forty Thieves Solitaire, or play the balanced Josephine Solitaire to build columns down by the same suit.

What other solitaire games do you recommend?

If you want to try other card game families, we recommend playing classic Klondike Solitaire, building columns in Spider Solitaire, planning ahead with FreeCell Solitaire, clearing columns in Yukon Solitaire, or matching pairs in Pyramid Solitaire.