Little Napolean

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Little Napoleon Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King using two standard 52-card decks (104 cards).

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use two standard 52-card decks (104 cards), no jokers.
• Tableau: Deal eight tableau piles. Each pile receives four cards: the top card is dealt face up, and the remaining three cards are dealt face down beneath it.
• Foundations: Create eight foundation piles, one for each suit. These start empty and are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau are placed face down as the stock pile.
• Waste: Cards drawn from the stock that cannot be played are placed face up in a single waste pile. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Face Orientation: Only the top card of each tableau pile is face up; all other tableau cards and stock cards are face down.

Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: Eight piles for temporary card arrangement and movement.
• Foundations: Eight piles for building completed suit sequences.
• Stock: Draw pile for introducing new cards.
• Waste: Discard pile for unplayable stock cards.

Little Napoleon Solitaire Rules:

• Tableau Building: Cards on the tableau are built down in rank, regardless of suit (e.g., 7♣ can be placed on 8♦).
• Foundation Building: Foundations are built up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., A♠, 2♠, 3♠ … K♠).
• Card Movement: Only the top face-up card of each tableau pile may be moved. When a card is moved, the card directly beneath it is turned face up and becomes available for play.
• Sequence Movement: Groups of cards may be moved together if they form a downward sequence in suit (e.g., 8♠, 7♠, 6♠).
• Stock and Waste: Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile. The top card of the waste is available for play to either the foundations or the tableau.
• No Redeal: Once the stock is exhausted, there is no redeal.

Gameplay:

• Player Actions:
• Move available cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations, following suit and ascending rank.
• Build tableau piles down in rank, regardless of suit, using available cards from the tableau or waste.
• Move sequences of cards within the tableau if they are in downward suit order.
• Draw cards from the stock to the waste pile when no more moves are available on the tableau or waste.
• Fill empty tableau spaces with any available card or sequence.
• Introducing New Cards:
• When no moves are possible, draw the next card from the stock to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste is always available for play.
• No Moves Available:
• If no legal moves remain and the stock is empty, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all eight foundations are built up in suit from Ace to King, using all 104 cards.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if the stock is exhausted and no further legal moves are possible, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces: Any available card or valid sequence may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
• Sequence Movement Restriction: Only sequences in downward suit order may be moved as a group; otherwise, only single cards may be moved.
• Stock & Waste Management: There is no redeal; once the stock is depleted, only tableau and waste cards remain for play.
• Foundation Priority: Aces must be moved to the foundations as soon as they become available.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The primary area for arranging and manipulating cards.
• Foundation: The target piles for winning, built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for introducing new cards into play.
• Waste: The discard pile for unplayable stock cards; only the top card is playable.

This guide provides a definitive, semantically precise overview of Little Napoleon Solitaire gameplay mechanics, optimized for clarity and reference.