Yukonic Plague

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Yukonic Plague Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and reserve to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers).
• Foundations: Four empty piles, one for each suit. These are built up from Ace to King in the same suit.
• Tableau:
• Six tableau piles: Each receives two cards dealt face down at the start.
• Seventh tableau pile: Receives one card dealt face up, then two additional cards dealt face up (for a total of three face-up cards in this pile).
• Reserve: One reserve pile containing thirteen cards, all dealt face up at the start. Cards in the reserve cannot be moved into the reserve; they are only removed from it.
• Card Orientation: All reserve cards and the three cards in the seventh tableau pile are face up. The two cards in each of the first six tableau piles are face down.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Foundations: Where completed suit sequences are built.
• Tableau: Seven piles where most gameplay occurs.
• Reserve: A special pile of thirteen face-up cards, accessible under specific movement rules.

Yukonic Plague Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
• Only face-up cards may be played.
• Tableau piles are built down in alternating colors (e.g., red on black, black on red) and in descending rank (e.g., 7 on 8).
• Groups of cards can be moved together as a unit, regardless of sequence, as long as the top card of the group forms a valid build with the target tableau card.
• When a face-down card is exposed in the tableau, it is turned face up immediately and becomes available for play.
• Foundations:
• Built up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, …, King of Hearts).
• Only Aces may be moved to empty foundation piles.
• Reserve Rules:
• Cards in the reserve are always face up and available for play onto the tableau or foundations, but no cards may be moved back into the reserve.
• Empty Tableau Spaces:
• Only a King, or a group of cards headed by a King, may be moved into an empty tableau pile.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
• Move any available face-up card (from tableau or reserve) to another tableau pile, following the descending, alternating color rule, or to the foundations if it is the next in sequence for its suit.
• Move groups of face-up cards as a unit, provided the top card of the group forms a valid build with the target tableau card.
• Whenever a face-down card is uncovered in the tableau, flip it face up immediately.
• Continue moving cards and groups to uncover face-down cards and free up reserve cards for play.
• Introducing New Cards:
• There is no stock pile; all cards are in play from the start in the tableau and reserve.
• Only the reserve and tableau provide new cards for play.
• No More Legal Moves:
• If no further legal moves are available and not all cards are in the foundations, the game is lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: All 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Loss: No further legal moves are possible and not all cards are in the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a King or a sequence of cards headed by a King may fill an empty tableau pile.
• Reserve Restrictions: Cards may only be removed from the reserve; it is not possible to move cards back into the reserve.
• Face-Down Card Exposure: Whenever a face-down card in the tableau is exposed, it must be turned face up immediately and becomes available for play.
• Group Moves: Any group of face-up cards in the tableau may be moved together, regardless of internal sequence, as long as the move itself is valid (i.e., the top card of the moving group forms a legal build on the destination tableau pile).
• No Redeals: There are no redeals or recycling of cards; all cards are in play from the initial deal.

Note: Yukonic Plague Solitaire is a more challenging variant of Yukon Solitaire, primarily due to the presence of the reserve pile and the increased number of buried (face-down) cards in the tableau.