What is Will O’ the Wisp?
Will O’ the Wisp is a one-deck Spider variant closely related to Spiderette. Both use a single 52-card deck, both build downward in rank, and both require assembling four complete King-through-Ace same-suit runs to win. The key difference is the opening deal: Spiderette uses a Klondike-style 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 column layout (one face-down card in the first column, up to six in the last), while Will O’ the Wisp deals exactly three cards to each of seven columns.
The name comes from the ethereal light of folklore — a fitting description for a game that appears simpler than it is and often slips away just when a win seems close.
Full rules
The 52-card deck is dealt into seven columns of three cards each (21 cards total), with only the top card of each column face-up. The remaining 31 cards form the stock, which deals one card to each column when the player chooses to draw.
Tableau columns build downward in rank, any suit. Only a same-suit descending sequence can be moved as a unit. When a complete King-through-Ace same-suit run is assembled anywhere in the tableau, it is automatically removed. Win all four suit runs to finish. Empty columns accept any card or same-suit sequence.
Will O’ the Wisp vs. Spiderette
The equal-depth opening deal (3×7) compared to Spiderette’s pyramid (1–7) creates a different early game. In Spiderette, column 1 is immediately clearable (one face-up card), creating a fast path to an empty column. In Will O’ the Wisp, all seven columns start equally deep, so there is no easy short column to collapse first.
The practical effect: Will O’ the Wisp’s opening phase rewards broad, even reveals across all columns rather than the “clear the short column first” tactic that works well in Spiderette. Once the early face-down cards are revealed, mid-game strategy is identical between the two variants.
Read the full Will O’ the Wisp strategy guide →
Key strategic concepts
With seven columns and one deck, empty columns are the scarcest resource on the board. Each column needs to serve one of four suit runs, leaving minimal slack for temporary parking. Placing any non-King card in an empty column without a clear plan for how that space will be recovered within a few moves is almost always a mistake.
Stock draws cover all seven columns simultaneously. Before drawing, scan every column for same-suit moves that might be lost if a new card buries the current top. The three available stock deals are precious — exhaust all productive same-suit moves before using one.
Spider family variants
- Spiderette — same one-deck rules, Klondike-style 1–7 opening deal
- Spider Solitaire — two decks, ten columns, the full-scale version
- Relaxed Spider — two decks; stock skips empty columns
- Simple Simon — one deck, all cards face-up, no stock
Related games and reference