Comparison
Clock Solitaire vs Grandfather's Clock
| Clock Solitaire | Grandfather's Clock | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | One deck | One deck |
| Suits | 4 | 4 |
| Typical length | 5 min | 8 min |
| Difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| How much skill matters | Low | Low |
| How much the shuffle matters | High | Medium |
| Family | Clock family | Clock family |
| Good for beginners | Yes | Yes |
We have not written a verdict for this pairing. The comparison above is drawn from each game's own recorded facts — follow either link for its full rules and strategy.
Clock Solitaire
A purely luck-driven game with no decisions — deal all 52 cards into a clock face and see if the Kings come up last.
Twelve piles of four cards go face down in a circle at the twelve hour positions, with the last four in the centre. Turn the top card of the centre pile: whatever it is, it goes face up under the pile at its hour — Ace to one o'clock, Jack to eleven, Queen to twelve — and you then turn the top card of that pile.
Grandfather's Clock
A gentler clock-themed patience game where foundations are arranged in a clock face and built up by rank.
Twelve named cards are set out in a circle as foundations, positioned so that each will finish on the rank matching its own hour — the two of hearts at five o'clock, the three of spades at six, and round from there. The other forty cards are dealt into eight columns of five.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is harder, Clock Solitaire or Grandfather's Clock?
- Clock Solitaire is generally rated easy difficulty, while Grandfather's Clock is rated easy — the two are broadly comparable in difficulty.