Pile Up

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Pile Up Solitaire is to build complete sequences of cards with equal rank (regardless of suit) within the tableau. A player wins by successfully grouping all cards into these rank-based sequences so that each tableau pile contains cards of the same rank.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Initial Arrangement: All 52 cards are dealt face up in a custom layout, with no cards hidden or face down.
• Play Areas:
• Tableau: There are fifteen tableau piles, each of which may hold up to four cards.
• No Stock, Waste, or Foundation: Unlike traditional solitaire, there is no stock, waste, or foundation area in Pile Up Solitaire.
• Face Orientation: All cards are dealt face up at the beginning of the game.

Pile Up Solitaire Rules:

• Building Sequences:
• Cards are grouped by rank only; suit is irrelevant.
• Example: Any 3 (hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds) can be placed onto another 3.
• Moving Cards:
• Single cards or sequences of cards (all of the same rank) may be moved together as a group.
• Moves are only valid if the entire group consists of cards of the same rank.
• Tableau Capacity:
• Each tableau pile may contain no more than four cards at any time.
• Filling Empty Tableaus:
• Any card or valid sequence (all of the same rank) may be moved into an empty tableau pile.

Gameplay:

• Sequence of Actions:
• Rearrange cards within the tableau to build piles where all cards in a pile share the same rank.
• Move cards or groups of cards (of the same rank) between tableau piles, respecting the four-card limit per pile.
• Fill empty tableau spaces with any card or valid sequence (all of the same rank).
• No Stock or Waste:
• There are no new cards introduced during play; all cards are available from the start.
• No Legal Moves:
• If no further moves are possible (i.e., cards cannot be grouped by rank within the tableau and no piles can be filled), play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
• The game is won when all tableau piles are filled with complete sequences of the same rank (e.g., a pile of four 7s, a pile of four Kings, etc.).
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:
• The game is lost or unwinnable if it becomes impossible to arrange all cards into complete, rank-matched piles due to blocked cards or the four-card limit per tableau pile.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces:
• Any card or sequence of cards (all of the same rank) may be moved to fill an empty tableau pile.
• Tableau Limitations:
• No tableau pile may hold more than four cards at any time.
• No Suit Restriction:
• Suit is never considered; only rank matters for all movements and grouping.
• No Foundations or Stock:
• There are no foundation piles to build up or stock/waste piles to draw from; all gameplay occurs within the tableau.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The primary play area where all cards are dealt and manipulated.
• Sequence: A group of cards, in this context, all of the same rank, that can be moved as a unit.

This ruleset distinguishes Pile Up Solitaire from traditional solitaire by focusing exclusively on grouping cards by rank, using an open tableau with all cards visible and no additional draw or foundation mechanics.