Exiled Kings

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Exiled Kings Solitaire is to build up all cards onto the foundation piles, starting with Aces and continuing in ascending order by suit up to Kings. The game is won when all cards have been correctly placed onto the foundations according to these rules.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Tableau: Eight tableau piles are created. Each pile is dealt six cards face-up, resulting in a total of 48 cards in the tableau.
• Foundations: As Aces (and possibly other cards) appear during the initial deal, they are immediately moved to start the foundation piles. Foundations are placed above or beside the tableau.
• Stock/Reserve: Any remaining cards after the tableau and initial foundation setup are placed in a stock or reserve pile, though in most implementations all cards are dealt at the start and there is no traditional stock.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All tableau cards are dealt face-up. Foundations are always visible. There are no face-down cards in the tableau.
• Key Play Areas:
• Tableau: Eight piles where most play occurs.
• Foundations: Four piles, one for each suit, built from Ace to King.
• Empty Tableau Spaces: Only Kings may be placed here.

Exiled Kings Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Cards are moved to the foundations in ascending order by suit (e.g., 4♦ → 5♦).
• Cards are moved within the tableau in descending order by rank, but any suit may be placed (e.g., J♠ → 10♥ or 10♦).
• Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved.
• Building Sequences:
• Tableau: Build down by rank, any suit (no color or suit restriction).
• Foundations: Build up by rank in the same suit.
• Empty Spaces:
• Only Kings may fill empty tableau spaces.
• If a tableau pile is emptied, only a King can be placed there, not any other card or sequence.
• Foundation Rules:
• Cards placed on the foundation cannot be moved back to the tableau.
• Only the next highest card of the same suit can be added to a foundation.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Examine the tableau and move available cards to the foundations if possible.
• Move a top card from one tableau pile to another if it follows descending rank (any suit).
• Fill empty tableau spaces with Kings only.
• Continue moving cards until no further legal moves are available.
• Introducing New Cards:
• All cards are dealt at the start. There is no stock or waste pile in most versions; play proceeds with the cards in the tableau and any foundations.
• If, during the initial deal, an Ace is revealed, it is immediately placed in the foundation.
• No Legal Moves:
• If no moves are possible, the game is blocked and cannot be won unless a move was overlooked.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
• The game is won when all cards are built onto the foundation piles, each completed in ascending order from Ace to King by suit.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:
• The game is lost or considered unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and not all cards have been placed onto the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
• Only Kings may be placed in empty tableau piles. No other card or sequence is allowed to fill these spaces.
• No Sequence Moves:
• Only single cards may be moved at a time; you cannot move a group or sequence of cards together.
• Immediate Foundation Placement:
• During the initial deal, any Ace (and in some versions, other foundation-starting cards) revealed is immediately placed on the foundation.
• Cards Locked in Foundation:
• Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be removed or played back to the tableau.
• No Stock/Waste:
• Unlike Klondike, there is typically no stock or waste pile; all cards are in play from the start.
• Difficulty:
• Exiled Kings Solitaire is considered more challenging than similar variants because only Kings may fill empty tableau spaces and only one card may be moved at a time.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of multiple piles where cards are arranged and manipulated during play.
• Foundation: The target piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Empty Tableau Space: A tableau pile with no cards; only Kings may be placed here.
• Sequence: A group of cards in descending order; in this game, sequences cannot be moved as a unit.

This guide synthesizes official and authoritative sources to provide a precise and actionable reference for playing Exiled Kings Solitaire.