Needle

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Needle Solitaire is to move all fifty-two cards from the tableau and reserve to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Play Areas:
  • Foundations: Four empty piles, one for each suit, where cards are built up from Ace to King.
  • Tableau: Nine piles, each with a custom initial layout. All cards in the tableau are dealt face up.
  • Reserve: One pile, initially containing eight cards dealt face up.
• Card Arrangement:
  • All cards are displayed face up at the beginning of the game, making Needle an open solitaire variant.
  • At the start, eight cards are dealt face up to the reserve and the remaining cards are distributed among the nine tableau piles according to the custom layout.
  • No cards are dealt face down in any area.

Needle Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
  • Build up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace ♠, 2 ♠, 3 ♠, … King ♠).
  • Only Aces may be placed onto empty foundation piles.
  • Only the top card of a tableau or reserve may be moved to a foundation.
• Tableau:
  • Build down by alternating color (e.g., a black 8 may be placed on a red 9).
  • Only single cards may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved together.
  • Any single card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Reserve:
  • Cards in the reserve may be moved to the tableau or foundation, regardless of suit or rank.
  • The reserve pile may hold up to eighteen cards at any time.
  • Only the top card of the reserve is available for play.
  • Any single card may be moved to an empty reserve space.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may perform any of the following actions:
  • Move the top card from a tableau or reserve to a foundation, if it follows the ascending suit sequence.
  • Move the top card from a tableau or reserve to another tableau pile, if it follows the descending alternating color sequence.
  • Move the top card from the reserve or tableau to any empty tableau or reserve space.
• No new cards are introduced; all cards are available from the initial layout since the game is fully open.
• Play continues until no more legal moves can be made or all cards are moved to the foundations.
• If the player cannot make any legal moves, the game is lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all fifty-two cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Loss: The game is lost if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces:
  • Any single card from the tableau or reserve may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
  • Any single card may be moved into an empty reserve space, provided the reserve does not exceed eighteen cards.
• Restrictions:
  • Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be transferred as a group.
  • All cards are always face up, so there is no hidden information or card flipping in play.
• Exceptions:
  • The reserve pile may not exceed eighteen cards at any time.
  • Foundations must always be built strictly by suit and ascending rank, starting with Ace.
  • Tableaus must always be built strictly by alternating color and descending rank.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are arranged in piles and manipulated during play.
• Foundation: The destination piles for each suit, built up from Ace to King.
• Reserve: An auxiliary pile holding up to eighteen cards, available for play to tableau or foundations.

This guide provides a precise, rule-focused overview of Needle Solitaire gameplay, optimized for clarity and instructional accuracy.