Comparison
Grandfather's Clock vs Big Ben
| Grandfather's Clock | Big Ben | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | One deck | 2 decks |
| Suits | 4 | 4 |
| Typical length | 8 min | 15 min |
| Difficulty | Easy | Intermediate |
| How much skill matters | Low | Medium |
| How much the shuffle matters | Medium | Medium |
| Family | Clock family | Clock family |
| Good for beginners | Yes | No |
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.
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.
Big Ben
A two-deck expansion of the clock-face foundation layout with a fuller tableau.
Two decks, and twelve particular cards are pulled out to form an inner circle of foundations arranged like a clock face — each one building up by suit until it reaches the rank that matches its own hour position, so the Queen of spades climbs to the seven of spades. Twelve piles of three ring the outer circle as the tableau, building down by suit and running continuously so an Ace follows a King.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is harder, Grandfather's Clock or Big Ben?
- Grandfather's Clock is generally rated easy difficulty, while Big Ben is rated intermediate — so most players find one noticeably harder than the other.