The rules of Spider
In brief
Play uses 104 cards divided between 10 columns and a stock. A card can be placed on a card one rank higher, regardless of suit; a group can only be moved if it is all of one suit (Classic rules). A complete run of the same suit from king to ace is removed from play; the game is won when all 8 runs have been removed.
Setup
The game has 104 cards, or 2 decks of 52. The app arranges them in 10 columns: the first 4 have 6 cards each, and the other 6 have 5 each, making 54 cards. Only the last card in each column is face up; the other 44 are face down. The remaining 50 cards form the stock, which allows 5 deals of 10 cards.
The number of suits, chosen at the start of the game, changes the composition of the 104 cards, never their number:
| Suits | In the app | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Easy | 8 × 13 spades |
| 2 | Medium | 4 × 13 spades + 4 × 13 hearts |
| 4 | Hard | 2 × 13 spades + 2 × 13 hearts + 2 × 13 diamonds + 2 × 13 clubs |
Stock: 50 cards, 5 deals remaining; no runs removed. Column 1: 5 face-down cards, then 10 of spades; column 2: 5 face-down cards, then ace of diamonds; column 3: 5 face-down cards, then king of hearts; column 4: 5 face-down cards, then jack of spades; column 5: 4 face-down cards, then 3 of spades; column 6: 4 face-down cards, then 8 of diamonds; column 7: 4 face-down cards, then ace of spades; column 8: 4 face-down cards, then king of hearts; column 9: 4 face-down cards, then 2 of hearts; column 10: 4 face-down cards, then 9 of spades.
Placing a card
A face-up card can be placed on the last card of another column if that card is one rank higher, regardless of suit: a 9 of hearts on a 10 of spades, a queen on a king. The ace is the lowest card and the king the highest: nothing can be placed on an ace. When the last card of a column is moved away, the face-down card beneath it turns over automatically.
Moving a group
Several face-up cards can be moved together if their ranks are consecutive and descending, for example 8, 7, 6. Under Classic rules, the app's default, the group must also be all of one suit. Under Relaxed rules, a mixed-suit group can also be moved. A group is placed like a single card: its first card must go on a card one rank higher. The app does not limit the length of a group.
The empty column
An empty column accepts any card or any movable group, not just a king. It is the most useful space in the game: it lets you set one card aside to reveal another.
Dealing
Tapping the stock places one face-up card on each of the 10 columns, from first to last. The app refuses to deal while any column is empty: you must first place a card there. After 5 deals, the stock is empty.
Removed runs
When a column ends with all 13 cards of one suit, from king to ace, all face up, the app automatically removes this run from play after the move or deal that completed it. The face-down card it covered turns over. Under both rules, a run is only removed if it is all of one suit.
The end of the game
The game is won when all 8 runs have been removed: no cards remain. The app does not detect a blocked game: when no move helps any more, it is up to you to restart or begin a new deal.
The app's variants
- 1, 2 or 4 suits ("Easy, Medium or Hard"), in the New Game window. With 1 suit, there are only spades.
- Classic or Relaxed rules, with 2 and 4 suits. With 1 suit, this choice is not shown: all cards are of the same suit, so both rules play the same way.
- Game code: it specifies the suits, rules and shuffle, for example SP1-S1C-AAAAAAD for 1 suit under Classic rules.
Scoring
The game starts at 500 points. Each card move and each deal costs 1 point; each removed run earns 100 points. The score never falls below 0. The move counter counts card moves and deals; removing a run is not a move.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Start of the game | 500 |
| Moving a card or group | -1 |
| Deal | -1 |
| Run removed | +100 |
Example: the game on the Examples page is won in 117 moves, without the score reaching zero. It finishes at 500 − 117 + 800 = 1183 points (8 runs × 100 = 800). This is the app's scoring system; other versions of the game score differently.
App-specific features
- Double-click (enabled by default): the selected group moves to the best column, prioritizing the same suit. A single click does nothing.
- Drag and drop; “Auto placement” (disabled by default) sends the dropped card to the best position.
- Placement assistance: while you drag a card, valid columns are highlighted. Interactive rules: after a rejected move, the app reminds you of the rule.
- Undo: the last 100 actions. The score and move count return to their previous values; a removed run returns when the move that formed it is undone.
- No hints or solver: the app does not tell you whether a deal is winnable.
On a table, with real cards
Wikipedia describes the same setup as the app: 54 cards in 10 columns, then 50 cards dealt in batches of 10 when no column is empty. Bicycle, the playing card manufacturer, describes a different setup: ten columns of five cards, with the first four cards in each column face down. Both require every space to be filled before a new row is dealt. See the sources.