Gotham

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Gotham Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (from two standard decks) to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit in a complete sequence of thirteen cards.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks are used (total 104 cards).
• Play Areas:
• Foundations: Eight piles, each can be started with any card rank and built up by suit.
• Tableau: Eight piles; each pile is dealt one card face up at the start.
• Stock: Remaining cards form the stock pile, placed face up; only the top card is available for play.
• Waste: Three waste piles are used; the top card of each is available for play.
• Dealing: At the start, deal one card face up to each tableau pile. The rest of the cards form the stock pile, which is face up.

Gotham Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Any card may serve as the base rank for an empty foundation pile.
• Foundations are built up by suit, in ascending order.
• Around-the-corner building is allowed: After a King, an Ace can be placed, continuing the sequence (e.g., Q♥ K♥ A♥ 2♥ …).
• Tableau:
• Tableaus build down by rank, regardless of suit (e.g., 8♠ onto any 9).
• Any card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Sequences of cards built down by the same suit can be moved together as a group.
• Stock:
• Only the top card is available for play; it can be moved to the tableau, foundation, or a waste pile.
• Waste:
• Up to three waste piles are available.
• The top card of each waste pile is available for play; cards can be moved from waste to tableau or foundation.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move cards from tableau to foundation if the move follows the suit and sequence rules.
• Build down tableau piles by moving cards or sequences (same suit) onto any card of the next higher rank, regardless of suit.
• Move any card to an empty tableau pile.
• Move the top card from the stock to a waste pile, or directly to tableau/foundation.
• Move cards from waste piles to tableau or foundation, following movement rules.
• Sequences built down by suit in the tableau can be moved as a group.
• When no moves are possible, draw from the stock pile to continue play. If the stock is depleted, gameplay may end or follow specific redeal rules (not specified in official sources for Gotham Solitaire).

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 104 cards have been moved to the eight foundation piles, each containing a complete sequence of thirteen cards built up by suit.
• Lose/Unwinnable: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and the stock is exhausted.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Foundation Base Rank: Any card can start a foundation; there is no restriction to starting with Aces.
• Around-the-Corner Building: Foundations allow sequences to wrap from King to Ace, permitting continuous building by suit.
• Moving Groups: Only sequences built down by the same suit in the tableau may be moved together as a group.
• Waste Piles: There are three waste piles; only the top card of each is playable.
• Stock: Only the top card is available for play.

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit in ascending sequence.
• Tableau: The main play area where cards are arranged and manipulated according to descending rank.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards; only the top card is available.
• Waste: Discard piles where cards from the stock are placed; only the top card of each is playable.

This guide is based on the official rules and gameplay mechanics for Gotham Solitaire.