Inquisitor

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Inquisitor Solitaire is to move all cards to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks are used (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Ten tableau piles are created. Deal cards as follows:
• 1st pile: 1 card
• 2nd pile: 2 cards
• Continue, increasing by one card per pile, up to the 10th pile (which receives 10 cards).
• All tableau cards are dealt face up.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles, initially empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after tableau setup form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: A single waste pile is used, starting empty.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Main area for building down in suit.
• Foundations: Goal area for building up in suit.
• Stock: Supplies new cards to the waste.
• Waste: Holds cards drawn from the stock; only the top card is available for play.

Inquisitor Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Only Aces can be moved to empty foundation piles.

• Foundations are built up by suit: each foundation must be built in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3, …, King) of the same suit.

• Cards on the foundation may be moved if needed.

• Tableau:

• Build down by suit: A card may be placed on another if it is exactly one rank lower and of the same suit (e.g., 6♠ on 7♠).

• Sequences: Any sequence of cards built down by suit can be moved together as a unit.

• Empty tableau piles may be filled with any card or valid sequence.

• Stock & Waste:

• Stock: When tapped, deals three cards face up to the waste pile.

• Waste: Only the top card is available for play to tableau or foundations.

• Redeals: The waste pile can be recycled back into the stock pile twice, allowing three complete passes through the stock.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:

• Move available cards from tableau or waste to the foundations if possible.

• Build tableau piles by moving cards or sequences down by suit.

• Fill empty tableau spaces with any card or valid sequence.

• When no moves are available, deal three cards from the stock to the waste.

• Continue play, recycling the waste into the stock when the stock is depleted (up to two times).

• Introducing New Cards:

• New cards enter play by dealing from the stock to the waste.

• Only the top card of the waste is available for play.

• No More Moves:

• If no legal moves are available and the stock cannot be redealt, play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundation piles, built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if:
• No further legal moves can be made, and
• The stock has been exhausted (all three passes used), and
• Not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any card or valid sequence (built down in suit) may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Sequences: Only sequences built down in suit (e.g., 8♥, 7♥, 6♥) can be moved together as a unit.
• Foundations Flexibility: Cards already placed on the foundations may be moved back to the tableau if this creates a legal sequence or enables further play.
• Redeals: The waste pile can be returned to the stock pile twice, for a total of three complete passes through the deck.
• All Tableau Cards Face Up: There is no hidden information in the tableau; all cards are visible at all times.

Note: Inquisitor Solitaire is considered a challenging game with a low win rate, emphasizing skillful planning and careful management of sequences.