Solitaire Tiles
IINTRODUCTION
You can now play the standard version of Solitaire ("Klondike") with convenient, stacking tiles and a custom rack. Rules are also included for two exciting variations: "Points" Solitaire, and two-player Solitaire.
OBJECT
The ultimate object of Solitaire Tiles is to stack all the tiles in the four "Foundation" compartments. This is challenging. In fact even if you play the tiles as best you can, you'll only achieve an ultimate victory some of the time. For this reason, the common objective is to stack ten or more tiles onto the Foundations -the more tiles you stack, the better your victory.
At the start of the game, 28 of the tiles are dealt to the seven front-facing compartments (called the "Tableau") and the remaining tiles are placed in the long compartment in the rear (called the "Stock"). At first, the Foundation compartments are empty. During the game, you'll play tiles from the Tableau and Stock to form "Sequences," which are stacked neatly in front of the Tableau compartments. When an Ace appears, you move it to a Foundation compartment. From then on, you may move tiles of its suit onto the Ace, in ascending order (2, 3, 4, etc., up to King). When you can no longer make any plays, the game ends.
There are 56 tiles in the game. They represent a deck of standard playing cards. There are 4 suits of tiles (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades). Each suit has 13 tiles-from lowest rank to highest they are: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King. The other 4 tiles are special (two Wilds and two Swirls).
SETUP
• Place the special tiles (two Wild tiles and two Swirl tiles) sideways in the "storage" compartment on the rack. They are used only in the "Points" and 2 player versions. For now, please also ignore the scoring values found on the tiles.
• Position the rack in front of you, about 18" away.
• Turn all tiles face down and mix them thoroughly.
• Fill the Tableau with 28 tiles, face backwards. Take care not to look at these tiles. The leftmost compartment of the Tableau holds one tile. Each successive space to the right holds one more tile. The last space holds seven tiles.
• Place the remaining 24 tiles in the Stock compartment of the rack, facing towards your left.
• Now turn, face forward (and right side up, if need be) the tile at the front of each of the seven compartments of the Tableau.
PLAY
Building Sequences
Before you play any tiles from the Stock, look at the tiles visible on the Tableau. You might be able to move one or more of these tiles to Sequence slots. A Sequence is a stack of tiles of descending rank and alternating color.
For example, in this photo, you may start a Sequence below the 5 of Diamonds on the Tableau by moving the 4 of Clubs to its slot. You may also move the Queen of Spades below the King of Hearts.
Turning Tiles on the Tableau & Moving Kings
After you move a tile from the Tableau to a Sequence, turn face-forward the next tile in the compartment. In this way, more and more tiles on the Tableau become active. When a Tableau compartment becomes empty, you are free to move a King from another compartment (or the Stock, see below) into it. Kings may be on the Tableau but never in a Sequence slot. If a King has a Sequence below it, you may still move the King into an empty space, but you must also move its Sequence into the slot below it.
Building Suit Foundations
If an Ace appears, place it immediately in any empty compartment of the Foundation (see diagram of the rack). You'll try to stack all of the tiles of this suit-in ascending rank-on top of this Ace. (After you play the Ace, it becomes possible to play the 2 of the same suit, then the 3, etc., culminating with the King.)
Playing from the Stock
Once you can no longer move any tiles from the Tableau to Sequences, you begin to draw and play tiles from the Stock. You always turn over the top three tiles of the Stock, as a unit, and place them in front of you. Take care that you only see the uppermost tile. These tiles are the beginning of the Play pile.
• If you can stack the visible tile atop any sequence, do so. For example, you may stack the 3 of Diamonds atop the 4 of Clubs.
• You may also move a King to an empty Tableau compartment, an Ace to the Foundation, and thereafter, stack tiles of this suit in ascending order in this compartment.
• After you play the top tile from the Stock, the tile beneath of it is available to play.
• You flip three more tiles from the Stock and place these on top of the Play pile when:
- You've played all the tiles in the Play pile, or
- You cannot play the top tile on the Play pile.
• When you come to the end of the Stock flip whatever tiles remain.
• When the Stock is exhausted, carefully place the tiles in the Play pile, without disturbing their order, back in the Stock compartment. Now continue to play from the Stock.
Note: Some players prefer to keep the Stock in a convenient stack, face down, in front of them. To do so, just flip over the Play pile when the Stock is exhausted and continue to play by drawing the top three tiles to begin the new Play pile.
Moving a Tableau tile and its Sequences
When a tile visible on the Tableau can be moved to add to another Sequence stack, move it, and then place ALL the tiles in its Sequence atop it.
For example, you may move a sequence headed by the 5 of Diamonds below the 6 of Clubs on the Tableau. Below the 5 is a stack consisting of the 4 of Spades, 3 of Hearts and 2 of Clubs. First move the 5 of Diamonds below the 6 of Clubs; then place the Sequence stack on top of it.
Note: You are permitted to move the top tile from one sequence to another if rank/order is preserved.
For example, you have a Sequence topped by a 2 of Hearts. You see another Sequence topped by the 3 of Clubs. You may move the 2 of Hearts on top of it. Why do so? In this example, the 3 of Spades would be revealed and you would be able to move it on top of the 2 of Spades in the Foundation. If the 4 of Spades was on the Play pile, you could now move it onto the Foundation as well.
SPECIAL RULES
- You are never compelled to move a tile until or unless you want to. Sometimes, it is to your advantage to wait before making a move.
- If faced with a choice to play a tile from the stock, or from the Tableau, it is up to you which to move (or to move neither). You are not compelled to make a play if you feel it is in your best interest not to.
- You may not move back a tile from atop a Foundation to a Sequence (unless you are playing the "Points" version described below).
GAME OVER / WINNING
• When you can no longer move any tile from the Play pile, Sequences or from the Tableau, the game ends.
• If you have succeeded in stacking all tiles on the Foundations, you win an ultimate victory.
• If you've moved 10 or more tiles onto the Foundations, you've won a common victory. (Of course the more tiles you've moved onto the Foundations, the more significant the victory.)
• Now mix the titles and try a new game.
RULES - Points Version
This version plays just like regular Solitaire, but with the addition of point scoring and four very special tiles. The object is to play game after game until you reach 1000 points. Since you could win or lose points with each game played, it is uncertain as to how many games it will take before you finally win.
SCORING
This version is very exciting, because points are at stake. Each tile features a point value below its symbol. These points are awarded for all tiles played onto the Foundations. Penalty points are deducted for all tiles remaining in the Stock and on the Tableau. (Tiles in Sequences are neutral and do not count as scores or as penalties.) If you "run the deck" and play all 52 regular tiles onto the Foundation, you score a bonus of 100 points. This will give you 500 points for the game.
Side note: As many people know, Solitaire is played for money in Las Vegas. A player "buys" a deck for $50 and receives $5 back for each card played to the foundation piles at game's ends. Ten cards are needed to break even. Our Points version provides a similar thrill.
Add the two Wild & two Swirl tiles
Before play begins, mix the two Wilds and two Swirl tiles in with the other tiles. During the game, you are permitted to "own" up to two of these tiles at a time. You may not claim a third unless you play one of the two tiles you currently own. These tiles have no scoring value, but can help you to break an impasse and keep the game moving.
When a WILD appears, claim it by placing it in front of you, away from the Play pile. You may use it whenever you feel it is to your advantage-now or on a future turn. A Wild can be used in place of another tile, but only of its color (red tiles for hearts and diamonds, black tiles for spades and clubs). You may use a Wild to add to a Sequence stack or to play onto a Foundation. A Wild played onto a Sequence can later be replaced by a tile of the rank and color it is representing, should that tile become available to play AND the Wild is visible. The Wild is then discarded by placing it on its side in the Storage compartment (it may not be reused). Likewise, a Wild on a Foundation can be replaced but only if visible.
When a SWIRL tile appears, you may also claim it and place it in front of yourself. You may only play a Swirl at the start of any future turn. To do so, stand it upright in the Storage compartment of the tray. A Swirl sweeps aside certain rules while it is active.
While active, a Swirl enables you to…
- Turn over 1 tile at a time from the Stock instead of 3.
- Return one or more tiles from the Foundation to Sequences.
Why do so? To help move/expose other tiles on the Tableau.
- Exchange two tiles of the same rank and color within two different sequences.
For example, you may exchange the red 4's, within two sequences.
Why do so? To make it easier to move other tiles, especially onto the Foundations.
When you can't play the tile on top of the play pile, discard the Swirl by turning it on its side in the Storage compartment. Resume normal play.
When the game ends, you are penalized for each Wild or Swirl tile that you have claimed and not played. Your penalty for each: you score no points for the tiles in one of the Foundation stacks (your choice: pick a stack that has at least one tile in it).
TWO-PLAYER POINTS VERSION
Two players, sitting side by side, may take turns playing "Points" Solitaire Tiles. Each player picks a scoring color-one will be red, the other will be black. The game is quite competitive because you will only score for tiles you play onto the Foundations of your color. Ignore the scoring value of tiles you play onto the Foundations of the opponent's color. (Doing so will prevent the opponent from scoring for them). Unplayed special tiles score -20 points, each.
Keep score after each turn with a sheet of paper and a pencil.
After playing three games, you can determine victory in one of two ways (decide in advance). The winner is either the player who wins 2 games (regardless of total score), or the winner is the player who amasses the most points during the three games played.