ThreeCell

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Dealing: All 52 cards are dealt face-up into eight tableau columns. The first four columns each receive seven cards, and the remaining four columns each receive six cards.
• Key Play Areas:
• Tableau: The eight columns where the cards are initially dealt and manipulated during play.
• Foundations: Four empty piles, one for each suit, where cards are built up from Ace to King.
• Cells: Three open "free cells" (unlike the four in standard FreeCell), each serving as a temporary holding area for a single card.
• Face Orientation: All cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards.

ThreeCell Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
• Only the top card of any tableau column or any card in a cell may be moved at a time, unless moving a sequence (see below).
• A cell may hold only one card at a time.
• Building Sequences in Tableau:
• Cards in the tableau are built down in rank and must alternate in color (red on black or black on red).
• Example: You may place a red 7 on a black 8.
• Moving Sequences:
• You may move a sequence of cards in the tableau if they are in descending order and alternate in color.
• The maximum number of cards you can move as a sequence is determined by the number of empty cells plus one. For example, with two empty cells, you may move a sequence of up to three cards together.
• Moving to Foundations:
• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and proceeding in ascending order to King (A-2-3-…-K).
• Only the next higher card of the same suit may be placed on a foundation pile.

Gameplay:

• On your turn, you may:
• Move the top card from a tableau column to a foundation, a free cell, or another tableau column (if legal).
• Move a card from a cell to a foundation or tableau (if legal).
• Move a valid sequence of cards within the tableau, subject to the empty cell limit.
• No new cards are introduced; all cards are in play from the start.
• If you cannot make any legal moves (i.e., all cells are full and no cards can be moved to tableau or foundation), play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose/Unwinnable: The game is lost (or unwinnable) if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns: Any card or valid sequence (subject to the empty cell limit) may be moved into an empty tableau column.
• Filling Cells: Only one card may occupy each cell at any time; cells may be filled or emptied as needed.
• Sequence Movement Limit: The number of cards that can be moved as a sequence is always equal to the number of empty cells plus one (e.g., with three empty cells, you may move up to four cards as a sequence).
• No Stock or Redeal: There is no stock or redeal; all cards are in play from the beginning.
• Irreversible Moves: Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau or a cell.

Note: ThreeCell Solitaire is a variant of FreeCell distinguished by having only three free cells, which increases the challenge by restricting the number of cards that can be moved in sequence and the available temporary storage. All other core rules are consistent with classic FreeCell.