Caprice

Game Objective

The primary goal in Caprice Solitaire is to move all 104 cards from two standard 52-card decks to the foundation piles by building complete ascending and descending sequences in suit, starting with Aces and Kings, respectively. The player wins when all four Ace foundations contain a complete ascending sequence (Ace to King) and all four King foundations contain a complete descending sequence (King to Ace) in each suit.

Setup & Layout

• Decks: Two standard 52-card decks are used, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: Twelve piles (tableaus) are dealt, each initially containing one card face up.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles are established at the start—four Ace foundations and four King foundations. Each Ace foundation begins with an Ace of a unique suit, and each King foundation begins with a King of a unique suit.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock, which is dealt face down.
• All cards in the tableau and foundations are dealt face up from the beginning of the game.

Caprice Solitaire Rules

Fundamental Principles

• Ace Foundations: Build up in suit from Ace to King. For example, the 5♠ may be placed on the 4♠, and the 6♦ on the 5♦.
• King Foundations: Build down in suit from King to Ace. For example, the 8♠ may be placed on the 9♠, and the 7♦ on the 8♦.
• Tableau: Build up or down in suit within the tableau. For example, the 6♠ may be placed on the 5♠ (up) or the 7♠ (down). Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Movable Cards: Only single cards may be moved at a time within the tableau or to the foundations.
• Direction Changes: The direction of building (up or down) may be changed within a tableau pile, but sequences must always be in the same suit.

Building Sequences

• Ace Foundations: Strictly ascending, same suit (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
• King Foundations: Strictly descending, same suit (King, Queen, Jack, …, Ace).
• Tableau: Ascending or descending, same suit, as long as the sequence is valid (e.g., 5♠, 6♠, 7♠ or 7♠, 6♠, 5♠).

Moving Cards

• To Foundations: A card may be moved from the tableau to a foundation if it is the next card in sequence for that foundation (e.g., a 2♠ to the Ace♠ foundation, or a Queen♠ to the King♠ foundation).
• Within Tableau: A card may be moved from one tableau pile to another if it forms a valid ascending or descending sequence in the same suit with the top card of the destination pile.
• Stock: When the stock is tapped, one card is dealt face up to each tableau pile. There is only one pass through the stock; redeals are not permitted.

Gameplay

1. Initial Moves: Begin by moving any available cards from the tableau to the foundations according to the rules above.
2. Building Tableau: Move cards within the tableau to create longer sequences and free up cards for the foundations.
3. Stock Usage: Tap the stock to deal one card to each tableau pile. Continue to move cards to foundations and within the tableau as opportunities arise.
4. Empty Tableau Piles: If a tableau pile becomes empty, it is automatically filled with the next card from the stock. When the stock is exhausted, any single card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
5. No Legal Moves: If no more legal moves are possible and the stock is exhausted, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards have been moved to the foundations, with each foundation containing a complete sequence in suit (Ace to King for Ace foundations, King to Ace for King foundations).
• Losing: The game is lost if no more legal moves are possible and the stock is exhausted before all cards are moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Empty tableau piles are automatically filled from the stock. If the stock is empty, any single card may be placed in an empty tableau pile.
• Stock Limitations: Only one pass through the stock is allowed; redeals are not permitted.
• Direction Flexibility: Within the tableau, sequences may switch direction (ascending to descending or vice versa) as long as the sequence remains in the same suit.
• No Tableau-to-Tableau Sequences: Only single cards may be moved between tableau piles; sequences of cards may not be moved as a group.
• No Reserve or Cells: Caprice Solitaire does not use reserve piles or free cells; all play occurs within the tableau, foundations, and stock.

Caprice Solitaire is distinguished by its dual foundation system (ascending and descending in suit), flexible tableau building, and single-pass stock, offering a challenging and strategic solitaire experience.