Comparison
Klondike vs Canfield
| Klondike | Canfield | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | One deck | One deck |
| Suits | 4 | 4 |
| Typical length | 10 min | 15 min |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Hard |
| How much skill matters | Medium | High |
| How much the shuffle matters | Medium | Medium |
| Family | Klondike family | Canfield 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.
Klondike
The best-known solitaire game: build tableau columns down in alternating colors and move cards up to four suit foundations.
Deal seven columns, the first holding one card and the seventh holding seven, with only the top card of each face up. Build the columns downward in alternating colours — a red six onto a black seven — and move cards up to four foundation piles that each build a suit from Ace to King.
Canfield
Foundations start on a random rank instead of Aces, and a 13-card reserve pile adds real strategic pressure.
Thirteen cards go face down into a reserve with only the top one showing, four columns are dealt, and one card goes up to start the foundations — whatever rank that card happens to be becomes the base rank for all four. Columns build down in alternating colours and turn the corner, so a King can go onto an Ace; foundations build up in suit and wrap the same way.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is harder, Klondike or Canfield?
- Klondike is generally rated beginner difficulty, while Canfield is rated hard — so most players find one noticeably harder than the other.