Play Josephine Solitaire Online for Free

Play unlimited games of Josephine Solitaire online for free. No download or email registration required – play in full screen mode on desktop, tablet, or mobile. Enjoy a balanced, more winnable variation of Forty Thieves and start clearing sequences today!

What is Josephine Solitaire?

If you enjoy the scale and strategy of two-deck solitaire games but find classic Forty Thieves too unforgiving, Josephine Solitaire is the perfect alternative. Named after Empress Josephine of France, this popular variant uses the exact same board setup as Forty Thieves but introduces one crucial rule change: you are allowed to move properly sequenced stacks of same-suit cards. This single tweak transforms a highly frustrating puzzle into an engaging, deeply strategic experience with a significantly higher win rate. Play Josephine Solitaire online for free and enjoy a balanced card game challenge directly in your 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 Josephine Solitaire

Josephine Solitaire requires two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). The ultimate goal of the game is to move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, building each suit up from Ace to King.

Understanding the Playing Area

Josephine Solitaire board layout showing 10 columns of 4 face-up cards

The board layout of Josephine Solitaire starts with 40 cards dealt face-up into 10 columns (exactly 4 cards each). Just like Forty Thieves, the stock pile is placed on the top-left, and the eight foundation piles start empty on the top-right.

The board layout consists of three main zones:

The Tableau: Ten columns of cards. At the start of the game, 40 cards are dealt face-up (exactly 4 cards per column). Since all tableau cards are dealt face-up, you can see every single card and plan your sequences.
The Stock Pile & Waste: The remaining 64 cards are placed face-down in the stock pile (top-left). You draw cards one by one onto the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is active. No redeals are allowed.
The Foundations: The eight empty slots in the top-right corner. You build these up by suit (two piles per suit) from Ace to King.

Tableau Building & Sequence Movement

Moving cards in Josephine Solitaire showing sequence movement rules

Tableau building in Josephine is based on matching suits, but allows the movement of sequenced stacks. As shown in the move illustration, you can move multiple sequenced cards of the same suit together, which greatly simplifies tableau management compared to Forty Thieves.

Building in Josephine is based on matching suits, but allows the movement of groups of cards:

Same-Suit Building: In the tableau columns, you can place a card onto another card only if it is exactly one rank lower and of the same suit (e.g. placing a 4 of Diamonds on a 5 of Diamonds).
Sequence Group Movement: This is the major twist in Josephine. If you have a sequence of cards built down in the same suit (such as 8, 7, 6 of Spades), you can drag the entire stack together onto a 9 of Spades. This makes managing columns much easier than in Forty Thieves.
Empty Columns: You can place any single card or any valid same-suit sequence into an empty tableau column to clear space.

Moving Cards to Foundations

Moving cards to the foundation piles in Josephine Solitaire

Moving cards to the foundations follows a strict suit-matching order. As shown in the illustration, once an Ace is positioned on the top-right, you build up in ascending rank to King. Draw from the stock pile to find new moves.

Foundation Construction: Start building foundation piles with Aces. Build them up (Ace, 2, 3… King) matching the suit.
Strategic Waste Play: Deal cards from the stock pile to the waste pile. Since you only have one pass through the deck, make sure to check if a drawn card can help build sequences in the tableau before sending it to the foundations.

Josephine Solitaire vs. Classic Forty Thieves Solitaire

Feature	Josephine Solitaire	Classic Forty Thieves Solitaire
Deck Count	2 standard 104-card decks	2 standard 104-card decks
Initial Tableau Layout	40 cards dealt face-up into 10 columns (4 per column)	40 cards dealt face-up into 10 columns (4 per column)
Stack Movement	Allowed (can move valid same-suit sequences together)	Not Allowed (must move cards one single card at a time)
Foundation Piles	8 piles (two per suit)	8 piles (two per suit)
Building Rules	Descending order of the exact same suit	Descending order of the exact same suit
Empty Column Rules	Any single card or valid same-suit sequence can fill columns	Any single card can fill empty columns
Redeals Allowed	No (single pass through stock pile)	No (single pass through stock pile)
Estimated Win Rate	~30-40% (Much more winnable due to stack movement)	~10% (Extremely difficult)

Want to win more often?

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

Learn Winning Strategies

Winning Strategies for Josephine Solitaire

While Josephine is more forgiving than Forty Thieves, it still requires careful planning. Use these tips to improve your play:

Clear Columns Quickly: Empty columns are extremely powerful. They serve as temporary cells to store cards while you rearrange columns. Once you empty a column, try to keep it open or use it only for vital transfers.
Build Foundations Evenly: Keep your foundation piles growing at a similar pace. If you build one suit to King too quickly, you might bury cards needed for the second foundation pile of that same suit.
Move Cards Within the Tableau First: Prioritize making moves within the tableau columns before drawing from the stock pile. Drawing cards increases the size of the waste pile and can bury useful cards.
Align Your King Stacks: When moving Kings to empty columns, try to place them where they can receive long, organized same-suit sequences to make clearance easier.

Features of Our Free Josephine Solitaire

Play Josephine Solitaire unblocked in your browser with these optimized features:

Play Immediately: No downloads, no registration, and 100% free card play.
Premium Visuals: Tactile card animations, clean layouts, and card shadows matching Core Web Vitals best practices.
Undo & Hints: Use our unlimited undo tool to try different directions, or click hints for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Josephine and Forty Thieves?

In Forty Thieves, you can only move one single card at a time, making the game notoriously difficult. In Josephine, you are allowed to move entire sequences of cards, provided they are in the correct descending order of the same suit.

How many decks are used in Josephine Solitaire?

Josephine is played with two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.

Can I put any card into an empty column?

Yes! Any single card or valid same-suit sequence can be moved into an empty tableau column. This is crucial for managing your cards.

What is the history and origin of Josephine Solitaire?

Josephine Solitaire is a direct variant of the classic Forty Thieves solitaire. It is named after Empress Josephine of France, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, as a direct thematic nod to Napoleon's connection to Forty Thieves (which is also known as Napoleon at St. Helena).

What other games are in the Forty Thieves solitaire family?

If you enjoy Josephine, you can try other games in the same family. Play the classic, highly challenging Forty Thieves Solitaire, or play Thieves of Egypt Solitaire for an alternating color building challenge.

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.