When you think of classic card games, you'll probably think of Solitaire (aka Klondike) first. You know, the one game you played on Windows for 25 years, and that you've played to pass the time at work or school instead of being productive.

Since the original Klondike version of Solitaire, there have been many variations, as well as modern and contemporary new takes on this timeless card game. In this article, we've rounded up the best free Solitaire games for your phone.

1. Microsoft Solitaire Collection

best free mobile solitaire games

Before we get into other free Solitaire games, it's only fair that we kick off with the one that started it all, right? Microsoft Solitaire Collection on mobile is the authoritative one-stop shop for all of your Solitaire needs, right from Microsoft themselves.

With Microsoft Solitaire Collection, you get five different Solitaire games in one: Klondike, Spider, Freecell, Tripeaks, and Pyramid.

In Klondike, you clear out the cards from the table through one or three-card draws. It also features Traditional or Vegas style scoring, if you want a real challenge.

Spider features eight columns of cards, and the goal is to clear it out in as few moves as possible. Freecell requires strategy, where you'll use four extra cells to shift cards around and clear them out.

Tripeaks involves selecting your cards in sequences, earning combos, and clearing as many boards as you can before you're out of deals. With Pyramdid, you combine two cards with a sum of 13 to remove them from the board.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection also provides players with new challenges every day, rewards to earn, and has Xbox Live integration. Plus, the game has the old victory animation, as well as new ones.

Download: iOS | Android (Free)

2. Flipflop Solitaire

best free mobile solitaire games

Want something classic but new and unrestrictive at the same time? Flipflop Solitaire is the answer, and you can play it offline without using data.

In this trend-setting version of Solitaire, you're able to stack cards in ascending or descending sequences, or even both ways in a single stack. This means you could put a higher card on top of a lower card, such as an 8 on a 7. You can mix up the suits too, but be mindful of that. You can only move stacks of a single suit.

The free download of Flipflop Solitaire gives you four different game modes, which are essentially the number of suits involved in a round. You get one to four suits, and this means the number of different card suits that you'll be playing with. The more suits in a game, the harder it becomes.

If you like Flipflop Solitaire, you can unlock the full game through a $2.99 in-app purchase (IAP). This buys you access to the 5-Suit and Single Suit Extended modes. There are also a handful of different card designs and backgrounds to choose from.

Download: iOS (Free)

3. Pair Solitaire

best free mobile solitaire games

Pair Solitaire is a Solitaire game unlike anything you've played before.

In this game, a full deck of 52 cards is in a single column. The goal is the same as other Solitaire games: clear the board out. However, the only way to do that here is to clear out "pairs" of cards, either by suit or value, and the pairs must have one card between them.

By removing a single card, new matches get created, resulting in many new possibilities and opportunities. Pair Solitaire makes you plan ahead and think, because the more cards you clear out, the better your score is.

Your final score depends on how many cards you removed, as well as the face value of said cards. You're awarded a multiplier based on that, which determines the final outcome.

There's one main game mode in Pair Solitaire, but a Daily Challenge exists too if you buy the IAP for the full game unlock. This features a new puzzle every day, and all players compete to see who can get the best score on it. The in-app purchase also unlocks more card designs.

Download: iOS | Android (Free) [No Longer Available]

4. Sage Solitaire

best free mobile solitaire games

Have you ever wondered what Solitaire would look like if you combined it with Poker? Possibly while playing these great casino games on Android? The answer is Sage Solitaire.

Sage Solitaire presents the deck of cards in a 3x3 grid, and the stacks get smaller in descending order. To clear out cards, you need to make hands, just as you do in Poker. The only catch is the fact that the hand must contain cards from at least two rows.

There's the opportunity to discard two cards, though you earn more by creating hands. There are also unlimited free hints if you're stuck. If there's no more moves available, then it's game over and your score's tallied up.

Sage Solitaire always has a Hand List readily available if you forget what a hand consists of. Vegas Mode gets unlocked with a certain number of clears in Single Deck. You unlock Double Deck and Fifteens modes through an in-app purchase, along with more card designs, themes, and an ad-free experience.

Download: iOS | Android (Free)

5. Churchill Solitaire

best free mobile solitaire games

Is regular Solitaire not challenging enough for you anymore? Then Churchill Solitaire ups the ante. This is a version of Solitaire devised by Sir Winston himself.

The challenge in Churchill Solitaire is the fact that each round uses two decks total, along with an extra row of cards named "Devil's Six." You can only move the cards in Devil's Six to the Victory Row, never the regular stacks of cards. The goal remains the same: clear the board, but when you have two decks of cards to go through, things get difficult.

Churchill Solitaire has three difficulty levels for trial deals, randomized deals, and a campaign mode that takes you through Churchill's career in the military. Only the trial deals are available for free though, with the rest unlocked through in-app purchases.

Download: iOS (Free) | Android (Free) [No Longer Available]

6. Tri-Peaks Solitaire Story

best free mobile solitaire games

If you want something more puzzling, Tri-Peaks Solitaire Story is a good option.

This game is a combination of Golf and Pyramid Solitaire. The goal in this one is to move all of the cards from the peaks and clear the board. You do this by picking cards that are one rank higher or lower than the base card. If there's no possible moves, just tap on the deck to get another card.

Since Tri-Peaks Solitaire Story is more like a puzzle game, there are power-ups that you can use when you're stuck, such as the Joker card. There are stars to earn on each stage, rewards and coins to collect, and many awaiting challenges.

Download: iOS [No Longer Available] | Android [No Longer Available] (Free)

Free Solitaire Games Abound

Solitaire, in all of its various forms, has lasted for generations for a reason. And there's now classic renditions and fresh new takes to tackle.

Solitaire is a game that will always be around, and serve as a great way to pass the time. So why not play it on your smartphone every time you have a few minutes to spare.