Midnight Clover

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Midnight Clover Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Foundation Piles: Four spaces designated for foundations. Each foundation pile starts with one card dealt face-up.
• Tableau: The remaining cards are dealt into multiple tableau piles. According to official sources, three cards are dealt face-up to each tableau pile at the beginning of the game.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All cards in the tableau are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in the initial setup.
• Key Play Areas:
• Foundation Piles: Where cards are built up by suit.
• Tableau Piles: Where cards are temporarily stored and manipulated before being moved to the foundations.

Midnight Clover Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Cards are moved from the tableau to the foundations, or between tableau piles, according to specific building rules.
• Building Sequences:
• Foundations: Build up by suit, starting with an Ace and ending with a King.
• Tableau: Build down regardless of suit. Only single cards may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved.
• Moving Cards:
• Any Ace may be played to any empty foundation pile.
• A card may be built onto a card in a foundation pile if it is the next rank and of the same suit.
• In the tableau, a card may be placed on another if it is one rank lower, regardless of suit.
• Only single cards can be moved; you cannot move stacks or sequences.

Gameplay:

• Typical Actions:
• Move available cards from tableau piles to foundation piles when possible.
• Rearrange tableau cards by placing a card of one rank lower onto another tableau card, regardless of suit.
• Play any available Ace to any empty foundation pile.
• Introducing New Cards:
• All cards are dealt at the start and are face-up; there is no stock or reserve in this variant.
• No More Legal Moves:
• If no further moves are possible (no cards can be moved to foundations or rearranged in the tableau), the game is lost or unwinnable.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all cards have been moved to the foundation piles, completing each foundation from Ace to King by suit.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if no more legal moves can be made and not all cards have been transferred to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces: When a tableau pile becomes empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game; only Aces may be played to empty foundation piles, not to empty tableau piles.
• Restrictions:
• Only single cards may be moved at a time, never sequences.
• Building in the tableau is strictly down by rank, regardless of suit.
• Exceptions/Unique Rules:
• There is no stock or reserve; all cards are available from the start, making the game entirely open and reliant on careful planning.

Definitions:

• Foundation Pile: A designated area where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau Pile: The main play area where cards are manipulated before being moved to the foundations.

This guide reflects the official rules and layout for Midnight Clover Solitaire as specified by reputable sources.