Alternation

♠️♦️ Alternation Solitaire: Game Rules

To successfully solve Alternation Solitaire, follow proven tactics.

🎯 Objective

The main goal is to move all cards onto the 8 foundation piles (2 foundations for each suit).

⚙️ Difficulty Levels

Before starting the game, choose a difficulty level:

Strict (Alternate Colors)

A card can be moved onto another card of the opposite color and one rank higher.

Note

Example: A red 10 ♥ can only be placed on a Black Jack ♠ or ♣.

Relaxed (Any Color)

A card can be moved onto another card of any color, but it must be one rank higher.

Note

Example: A 10 ♥ can be placed on a Jack of any suit.

🃏 Setup and Start

The game uses two standard decks (104 cards). The deck is thoroughly shuffled, and 7 rows (columns) of cards are dealt onto the tableau as follows:

• Each row consists of 7 cards.
• Cards are dealt in an alternating pattern: face-down, face-up, face-down, face-up, and so on.
• This results in a tableau with 3 rows of face-down and 4 rows of face-up cards.
• The remaining cards form the stock pile.

📜 Core Rules

Moving Cards on the Tableau

• Only the top face-up cards from a row can be moved to another row.
• It is allowed to move multiple cards at once if they form a correct, continuous sequence (according to the chosen difficulty level).
• Any single card or a built sequence can be placed on an empty row.
• When a face-up card is moved, the card beneath it (if face-down) is automatically turned face-up.

Building Foundations

• Foundations are built strictly by suit in ascending order: from Ace (A) to King (K).
• A card can (and should!) be placed onto a foundation at any moment as soon as it becomes available.
• Cards placed on a foundation cannot be returned to play.

Using the Stock and Waste Piles

• Cards from the stock pile can be flipped one by one into the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile can be used to move onto the tableau or directly onto a suitable foundation.
• Only one pass through the stock pile is allowed.

🧠 Strategy and Game Tips

1. Prioritize revealing face-down cards. Often, such a move is more important than immediately building a foundation.

2. Use empty rows as a tool. A free row is a powerful reserve. Use it to temporarily store cards or sequences to unlock access to face-down cards in other rows.

3. Remember the two foundations per suit. This unique feature allows you to build two ascending sequences for one suit in parallel, which is crucial for clearing the tableau.

4. Plan long chains in “Strict” mode. In this mode, plan your moves especially carefully to avoid creating a blockade due to incorrect color alternation.

5. Experiment with undo. Don’t be afraid to use the undo button to analyze different scenarios and find the optimal path.

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Ready to put these rules into practice? Enjoy your game of Alternation Solitaire!