Crescent

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Crescent Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau onto the eight foundation piles, completing each foundation by suit. Four foundations must be built up from Ace to King, and four must be built down from King to Ace.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Crescent Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.
• Foundations: At the center, place eight foundation piles:
  • Four foundations start with an Ace of each suit (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) and are built up in ascending order by suit to King.
  • Four foundations start with a King of each suit and are built down in descending order by suit to Ace.
• Tableau: Arrange 16 tableau piles in a crescent shape around the foundations.
  • Deal six cards face-up to each tableau pile.
• Face-up/Face-down: All cards in the tableau are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in standard Crescent Solitaire.

Crescent Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • Cards may be moved:
    • From tableau to foundation (if it fits the sequence and suit).
    • From one tableau pile to another (if it fits the building rule).
• Building Sequences:
  • Tableau: Build up or down by one rank, but only within the same suit (e.g., 7♠ onto 6♠ or 8♠).
  • Foundations:
    • Ace foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King.
    • King foundations: Build down by suit from King to Ace.
  • Wrap-around: You may build Ace onto King and King onto Ace, as long as the suit matches.
• Movement Restrictions:
  • Only one card may be moved at a time.
  • Only the top card of a tableau pile is movable.
  • Empty tableau piles cannot be filled; once a pile is empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
  • Move eligible cards from tableau to foundation.
  • Move eligible cards between tableau piles according to the building rules.
• Reshuffle/Rotation: When no further moves are possible, the player may reshuffle (rotate) the tableau piles:
  • The bottom card of each tableau pile is moved to the top of its pile.
  • This reshuffle can be performed up to three times per game.
• Hints/Timer: Some digital versions provide hints or a time limit (e.g., 20 minutes) for added challenge.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 96 tableau cards have been moved to the foundations, completing all eight piles by suit in the correct order.
• Losing: The game is lost (unwinnable) if:
  • No legal moves remain in the tableau and no reshuffles are left.
  • Not all cards have been moved to the foundations within the allowed reshuffles or, in timed versions, before time expires.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: Once a tableau pile is emptied, it cannot be refilled or used again.
• Reshuffle Limit: The reshuffle (rotation) may only be used three times per game. After three reshuffles, no further rotations are permitted.
• Wrap-around Building: Building sequences in the tableau and foundations allow for Ace to follow King and vice versa within the same suit.
• Hints/Timer: Some online versions offer a limited number of hints and a time limit for completion, but these are not part of the core ruleset.

Key Terms Defined:

• Foundation: Central piles where cards are stacked by suit in ascending (Ace to King) or descending (King to Ace) order.
• Tableau: The crescent-shaped arrangement of 16 piles around the foundations, each starting with six face-up cards.
• Reshuffle/Rotation: Mechanic allowing the bottom card of each tableau pile to move to the top, permitted up to three times per game.

This guide covers all essential mechanics for playing Crescent Solitaire according to the most widely recognized and official rulesets.