Open Cells: patience with every card face up

Open Cells is the patience game for people who like to think rather than hope. Every card is face up from the start, there are four free cells to park cards in, and each deal is numbered. Nearly every game can be won with enough thought, which changes the whole feel of playing. It is a one-player game on the Cards shelf of Games by Zaweba.

In most patience games, a loss can be bad luck. In Open Cells, a loss usually means there was a better line you did not find. That makes it endlessly replayable.

Foundations, columns and free cells

The aim is to build the four foundations up by suit, from ace to king. The cards are dealt into eight columns, all face up. On the columns you build down in alternate colours, so a red nine goes on a black ten.

Any card can wait in one of the four free cells. A free cell holds one card, and it is your main tool for getting at cards buried in a column. Any card, or any run, can go into an empty column.

Runs move as a group, but only when there are enough free cells and empty columns to shuffle them across. A long run needs plenty of space, so the more cells and columns you keep free, the more you can move at once.

Moves, undo and hints

Drag cards, or click them, and a click sends a card where it fits best. Z undoes a move and H gives you a hint. The hint is useful when you are stuck and cannot see a way forward, but try looking for yourself first, since finding the move is half the pleasure.

Thinking your way through a deal

Because you can see everything, you can plan. Before your first move, look for the aces and the low cards, and notice which ones are buried deep. Those are the cards you will need to dig out first.

Treat the free cells as precious. It is easy to fill them up early with cards that are in the way, and then find you have nowhere to put anything. A good rule is to use a free cell only when you can see how that card will get out again.

Empty columns are worth even more than free cells, because a whole run can go into one and because they double how far a group of cards can move. Clearing a short column early can make the rest of the deal much easier.

Use undo as a way of exploring. If you are not sure whether a line will work, try it, and go back if it leads nowhere. There is no penalty for thinking out loud with the cards.

Numbered deals

Each deal has a number. That gives Open Cells a nice quality: a deal is a fixed puzzle rather than a random shuffle. If a particular deal beats you, it is the same deal next time you meet it, and it can be won.

Where it sits on the shelf

Open Cells in Games by Zaweba is the patience game for a longer, more focused sit down. It pairs well with Classic Patience, which has hidden cards and more luck, and with Spinner Patience, which uses two packs. When you have finished, your plays, wins and best score are recorded on the game's tile in the library, so you can watch your win rate climb as your planning improves.