Demon Fan

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Demon Fan Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau (fans) to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau (Fans): Deal all 52 cards into 18 piles called fans:
  • The first 16 fans each receive 3 cards.
  • The last 2 fans each receive 2 cards.
  • Only the top card of each fan is dealt face-up and available for play; the rest are face-down and inaccessible until uncovered.
• Foundations: Reserve space above the tableau for 4 foundation piles. Each foundation starts with an Ace and is built up in suit to King.
• Stock: There is no separate stock pile; all cards are dealt to the fans at the start. However, the game allows for up to six redeals of the tableau.
• Empty Spaces: If a fan becomes empty, it cannot be refilled during play.

Demon Fan Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
  • Only the top card of each fan is available for play at any time.
  • Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved.
• Building on Foundations:
  • Foundations are built up in suit, starting from Ace up to King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, then Two of Hearts, etc.).
  • Cards placed on the foundation cannot be removed.
• Building on Tableau (Fans):
  • Tableau piles are built down in alternating colors (e.g., a red 7 can be placed on a black 8).
  • Only the top card of each fan may be moved to another tableau pile or to the foundation.
  • Sequences cannot be moved; only single cards.
• Empty Fans:
  • Empty fan spaces cannot be filled by any card, not even by a King.

Gameplay:

• Sequence of Actions:
  • Scan the tableau for exposed Aces and move them immediately to the foundations.
  • Build foundations whenever possible by moving the next card in sequence (by suit) from the tableau to the foundation.
  • If foundation moves are not possible, build down in the tableau by placing cards of alternating color, one rank lower.
  • Only the top card of each fan is playable; focus on moves that uncover important cards beneath.
• Redeals:
  • When no further moves are possible, gather all remaining cards from the tableau, reshuffle, and redeal them into 18 fans (16 fans of 3 cards, 2 fans of 2 cards).
  • Only the top card of each redealt fan is playable.
  • Up to six redeals are allowed per game.
• No Stock or Reserve:
  • There is no stock or reserve pile; all play occurs within the tableau and foundations.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning:
  • The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable State:
  • The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if:
    • All six redeals are used and no further legal moves are possible.
    • Cards remain in the tableau that cannot be moved to the foundations due to blocking or lack of legal moves.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Fans:
  • If a fan becomes empty, it cannot be refilled at any point during the game, not even with a King.
• Redeal Restrictions:
  • After each redeal, the tableau is reconstructed with the same distribution: 16 fans of 3 cards, 2 fans of 2 cards.
  • Only the top card of each fan is playable after a redeal.
• Sequence Movement:
  • No sequences may be moved; only individual cards can be transferred between fans or to the foundations.
• Foundation Transfers:
  • Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau.
• No Filling Empty Spaces:
  • Unlike some fan solitaires, Demon Fan does not allow filling empty fans with any card, including Kings.

Key Terms Defined:

• Fan: A small pile of cards in the tableau, with only the top card exposed and playable.
• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Redeal: The process of gathering all tableau cards, reshuffling, and redealing them into fans when no moves are possible.

This guide provides a precise and complete overview of Demon Fan Solitaire gameplay, ensuring clear reference for both players and AI systems.