10 Most Difficult Solitaire Games Ranked by Win Rate

Last updated: Jul 06, 2026

Most difficult solitaire game example on computer screen

Most people play cards to unwind, clear their minds, and enjoy a relaxing session. But for a specific class of players, a simple card layout is boring. They do not want relaxation; they want a statistical battleground. These individuals are actively hunting for the most difficult solitaire games in existence.

What makes a game the hardest solitaire game overall? It goes far beyond getting a bad initial deal. The toughest solitaire layouts involve restrictive movement mechanics, complicated setup mechanisms, and extreme mathematical challenges, which ultimately result in winning odds in the single digits. A small mistake in strategy made two turns in the game can spell disaster for you twenty turns later.

If you want to test your skills, you can play solitaire online and see how you handle these expert levels.

FAQs

The accordion is also said to have the lowest winning percentage, usually less than 1 out of 100 games. Canfield and La Belle Lucie are also famously tough, with win rates of just 3%.
Yes, Spider Solitaire is much more difficult, in 2- and 4-suit. Whereas Klondike alternates colors, Spider requires constructing sequences within the same suit, which is highly limiting.
Yes, mathematicians have found that even in Klondike, a significant percentage of games are unsolvable regardless of player skill. In more difficult variants like Pyramid, the "unwinnable" percentage is even higher due to the way cards can be buried.

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