Breakaway Solitaire

A unique patience card game of skill and strategy.

Every card is dealt face up and every deal can be won, but not every move keeps it that way. Five-card runs of the same suit break away, freeing the cards below. Think ahead, and use your moves wisely.

Coming soon to theApp Store

For iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Free, with one optional purchase to unlock advanced features across all platforms.

A game of Breakaway in progress: stacks of cards fanned across a green table, a run of diamonds broken away into a stack of its own, three cards in the free cells, and cards home on their foundations

How to play

Fifty-two cards are dealt face up into ten stacks of five, and the last two go into free cells. There's nothing to turn over and nothing hidden: the whole game is in front of you from the first move.

  • Foundations

    Build up each suit on its foundation pile, from the ace up to the king. You have won the game once all four foundations are fully built.

  • Stacks

    The top card of one stack can be moved to the top of another stack, but only if placed on the next higher card of the same suit (e.g., the 8♠ can be placed on the 9♠). A stack that loses its last card is gone for good: nothing can take its place.

  • Free cells

    The top card of any stack can be moved into an empty free cell. There are only four, and each holds a single card. Once a card is there, it may not be able to get out!

  • Runs break away!

    When a run of five or more cards of the same suit is formed at the top of any stack, it breaks away to form a new stack of its own, freeing the cards beneath.

Every deal can be won

New games come from nearly 15,000 deals that the game's solver has proven winnable, each graded by difficulty. Customize the game to only deal specific difficulty levels to match your level of skill.

  • Easy
  • Medium
  • Hard
  • Expert

At a typical point in a game, over a third of the moves you could make would lead to a dead end with no solution, so think carefully and strategically!

A game in progress on the midnight blue table

Help when you want it

Stuck? Ask whether the game can still be won. If it can, take a hint: the next move of a way to win, shown on the table. If it can't, rewind to the last move where the game could still be won.

Every game comes with one free check, and the hint or rewind it offers. Breakaway Plus unlocks unlimited checks, hints, and rewinds, in a single purchase shared with your whole family.

Win without undos, restarts, or help, and it's a perfect game.

The solver's answer over a game: Still winnable, with Hint?

Made with care

  • Tap a card to make its best move, or drag it exactly where you want it.
  • Undo as often as you like.
  • A short, animated tutorial shows you how to play.
  • Eight tables to play on.
  • Sound effects and haptics, both easy to turn off.
  • Full VoiceOver support.
  • On iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
  • No ads, no accounts, no tracking. Your games stay on your device.

The story of Breakaway

My mom has played this game for as long as I can remember. She learned it from my grandfather, and she believes he may have invented it. I've never found any record of it being played outside our family, but everyone I've taught it to has loved it, and most have been hooked.

I first made an electronic version for my wife when she was on bed rest, pregnant with our second daughter. She loved it, but I never found the time to polish it enough to share it more widely.

Years later, it's finally ready. This app is a labor of love: I want to introduce more people to this wonderful game and make it a joy to play. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

— Antoine