Selective Castle

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Selective Castle Solitaire is to build all four foundation piles up in suit, starting from a player-selected base rank, until each foundation contains all thirteen cards of its suit.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal eight tableau piles. The first four piles each receive seven cards face-up; the next four each receive six cards face-up. All cards in the tableau are dealt face-up.
• Foundations: Place four empty foundation piles above or beside the tableau.
• Stock/Reserve: There is no stock or reserve in this variant.
• Key Play Areas:
• Tableau: Eight piles where most gameplay occurs.
• Foundations: Four piles where cards are built up by suit, starting from the chosen base rank.

Selective Castle Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• The first card moved to any foundation pile determines the base rank for all four foundations (e.g., if a 7 is placed, all foundations must start with a 7).

• Foundations are built up in suit, wrapping from King to Ace if necessary, until each contains 13 cards.

• Only cards of the same suit and exactly one rank higher (wrapping permitted) may be placed on a foundation pile (e.g., play 8♦ on 7♦, A♦ on K♦ if wrapping).

• Cards cannot be removed from the foundations once placed.

• Tableau:

• Build tableau piles down in any suit (suit does not matter for tableau building), wrapping from Ace to King as needed.

• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.

• Any single card may be moved onto another tableau pile if it is exactly one rank lower, regardless of suit (e.g., 6♠ on 7♦).

• Any available card may fill an empty tableau pile.

• Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved as a group.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move the top card of any tableau pile to a foundation pile if it is the correct rank and suit.
• Move the top card of any tableau pile onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower, regardless of suit.
• Move any available card to fill an empty tableau pile.
• There is no stock or redeal; all cards are in play from the start.
• Play continues until either all cards are built onto the foundations or no more legal moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all four foundation piles are completed, each containing a full sequence of thirteen cards in the same suit, starting from the chosen base rank and wrapping as necessary.
• Lose: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all foundations are complete.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any card may be moved into an empty tableau pile, regardless of rank or suit.
• Foundation Base Rank: The first card moved to a foundation sets the required starting rank for all foundations. Only cards of that rank may start a foundation.
• Wrapping: Both tableau and foundation building allow for wrapping. For example, a King may be placed on an Ace (when building down in tableau) or an Ace may be placed on a King (when building up in foundations).
• No Stock/Reserve: There are no redeals or additional cards to draw; all cards are dealt and visible from the start.
• Immobility of Foundations: Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau or elsewhere.
• Single Card Moves: Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be transferred as a group.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up in suit, starting from a specified base rank.
• Tableau: The main play area consisting of eight piles, where cards are arranged and manipulated to access cards for the foundations.
• Wrapping: The ability to continue a sequence from King to Ace or Ace to King, as permitted by the rules.

This guide is based on the official rules and leading solitaire sources for Selective Castle Solitaire.