Northwest Territory

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Northwest Territory Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck (no Jokers).
• Tableau: There are eight tableau piles. Deal cards as follows:
• Pile 1: 1 card
• Pile 2: 2 cards
• Pile 3: 3 cards
• Continue this pattern up to Pile 8, which receives 8 cards.
• Foundations: There are four foundation piles, one for each suit. These start empty.
• Stock/Reserve: There is no stock or reserve in Northwest Territory Solitaire; all cards are dealt at the start.
• Card Orientation: All cards in the tableau are dealt face up. There are no face-down cards.

Northwest Territory Solitaire Rules:

• Building on the Tableau:
• Cards are built down in rank (e.g., 8 on 9).
• Cards must alternate colors (red on black, black on red).
• Sequences of cards in correct order (descending, alternating colors) may be moved as a group between tableau piles.
• Moving to Foundations:
• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with the Ace and proceeding to King (A-2-3-…-K).
• Only the next higher card of the same suit can be placed on a foundation pile.
• Moving Cards:
• Any face-up card or valid sequence can be moved between tableau piles, provided the move follows the descending, alternating color rule.
• Only the top card or a properly sequenced group can be moved at once.
• Empty Tableau Piles:
• Any card or valid sequence may be moved to an empty tableau pile, unless a variant restricts this to Kings only.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move cards or sequences between tableau piles, following the descending, alternating color rule.
• Move cards to the foundation piles if they are the next in sequence for that suit.
• There is no stock to draw from; all cards are in play from the start.
• When a tableau pile becomes empty, fill it according to the rules (see Special Rules).
• Play continues until either all cards are moved to the foundations (win), or no further legal moves are possible (loss).

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the foundation piles, built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Loss/Unwinnable State: The game is lost or unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and not all cards are in the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
• By default, any card or valid sequence may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Some implementations may restrict this to only Kings or sequences starting with a King. Check the specific variant or settings being used.
• No Stock or Redeal:
• There is no stock; all cards are dealt face up at the start. There are no redeals or additional cards introduced during play.
• Sequence Movement:
• Only properly ordered sequences (descending, alternating colors) may be moved as a group.
• No Hidden Cards:
• Since all cards are face up, there are no hidden or face-down cards to reveal during play.

Note: Northwest Territory Solitaire is distinct from standard Klondike Solitaire due to its eight tableau piles, all cards being dealt face up, and the absence of a stock pile. Always verify if your software or ruleset enforces the "King-only" rule for empty spaces, as this may affect strategy.