Alexandria Solitaire: How to Play

Game Objective

The primary objective of Alexandria Solitaire is to move all 156 cards from the tableau and stock to the twelve foundation piles, with each foundation built up by the same suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout

Alexandria Solitaire is played with three standard decks (156 cards total). The game setup involves the following play areas:

Tableau: Thirteen tableau piles are arranged in a row. At the start of the game, cards are dealt to these piles in a specific pattern: the first pile receives 1 card, the second pile receives 2 cards, the third pile receives 3 cards, continuing up to the seventh pile which receives 7 cards, then the eighth pile receives 6 cards, the ninth pile receives 5 cards, and so on, decreasing back down. The top card of each tableau pile is placed face up, while all other cards in each pile are placed face down.

Foundations: Twelve foundation piles are established above or separate from the tableau. These piles begin empty and serve as the destination for all cards during gameplay.

Stock: The remaining cards that are not dealt to the tableau form the stock pile, which is placed face down.

Waste: One waste pile exists adjacent to the stock. Cards from the stock are revealed into the waste pile during gameplay.

Alexandria Solitaire Rules

Foundation Rules

• Any Ace may be moved to an empty foundation pile to begin that foundation.
• Foundations build up by the same suit, meaning each card placed on a foundation must be one rank higher than the card below it and of the same suit. For example, the 6♠ may move onto the 5♠, and the 6♦ may move onto the 5♦. Starting with the 6♥, the following sequence can build on top: 7♥, 8♥, 9♥, 10♥, and so on up to the King.

Tableau Rules

• A King may move to an empty tableau pile. No other cards may move to an empty tableau.
• Tableaus build down by alternating colors, meaning each card placed on a tableau must be one rank lower than the card below it and of the opposite color. For example, the 7♠ (black) may move onto the 8♦ (red), and the 7♥ (red) may move onto the 8♣ (black). Starting with the 7♥, the following sequence can build on top: 6♠, 5♦, 4♣, and so on.
• Sequences of cards built down by alternating color can move together as a group from one tableau to another. This means if you have a valid sequence (such as 7♥-6♠-5♦), you may move the entire sequence to another tableau if the bottom card of the sequence (5♦ in this example) can legally move onto the top card of the destination tableau.
• When a card is moved from a tableau pile, the next card beneath it is flipped face up and becomes available for play.

Stock and Waste Rules

• The stock pile contains the remaining cards not dealt during setup.
• When the stock is tapped or activated, one card is dealt face up to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is movable. This card may be moved to a foundation or tableau if a legal move exists.
• The stock continues to be drawn one card at a time until it is exhausted.

Gameplay

During each turn, a player may perform the following actions in any order:

1. Move cards from the tableau to a foundation if the card is an Ace (to start a foundation) or if the card is one rank higher than the top card of a foundation and matches the foundation's suit.

2. Move cards from the tableau to another tableau if the card or sequence of cards is one rank lower than the top card of the destination tableau and is of alternating color.

3. Move the top card from the waste pile to a foundation if it is an Ace or one rank higher than the top card of a foundation and matches the suit.

4. Move the top card from the waste pile to a tableau if it is one rank lower than the top card of the destination tableau and is of alternating color.

5. Draw from the stock by tapping the stock pile to reveal one card to the waste pile.

A player continues taking actions until no more legal moves are available, at which point they must draw from the stock. If the stock is exhausted and no more moves can be made, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions

Winning: A player wins Alexandria Solitaire when all 156 cards have been successfully moved to the twelve foundation piles, with each foundation containing all thirteen cards of its suit in order from Ace to King.

Losing: A player loses when the stock pile is exhausted, the waste pile has been fully processed, and no additional legal moves can be made on the tableau or to the foundations. At this point, the game becomes unwinnable.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Empty Tableau Piles: When a tableau pile becomes empty (all cards have been moved away), only a King or a sequence of cards beginning with a King may be moved into that empty space. This restriction prevents arbitrary card placement and maintains strategic gameplay.

Waste Pile Cycling: Once the stock pile is completely exhausted, the waste pile cannot be recycled or reset in Alexandria Solitaire. The game must be won with the cards available, or it is lost.

Skill and Odds: Alexandria Solitaire is classified as a Balanced skill level game, meaning winning involves both skill and luck equally. The game has a very high win rate of approximately 90%, indicating that about 9 in 10 games can be won with optimal play.