Objective

Klondike is a popular single-player card game. The objective is to move all the cards to four foundation piles sorted by suit and in ascending order from Ace to King.

Equipment

• A standard 52-card deck without jokers.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
2. Create the tableau by dealing cards:
3. Place the first card face up in the first pile.
4. In the second pile, place one card face down and one card face up.
5. In the third pile, place two cards face down and one card face up.
6. Continue this pattern until the seventh pile consists of six face-down cards and one face-up card.
7. The remaining cards form the stock.

Rules

• Tableau: Cards can be moved on top of another card that is one rank higher and of the opposite color (for example, a red 7 on a black 8).
• Empty Spaces: Only Kings and sequences starting with a King can be moved to empty spaces in the tableau.
• Foundations: Begin building up from Ace to King on the foundations by suit.

Gameplay

1. Draw from the stock, flipping one card over at a time. These cards can be immediately played onto the tableau or the foundations.
2. Move cards within the tableau or to the foundations according to the rules above.
3. Once there are no more moves available, cycle through the stock.
4. The game ends when all cards are successfully placed on the foundations or when no further moves are possible.

Strategy Tips

• Plan thoughtfully: Prioritize moves that open more opportunities or expose new face-down cards. This can sometimes mean keeping certain sequences or cards on the tableau to give you more flexibility.
• Cycle the deck wisely: Especially in the initial rounds, try to free up key cards that can unlock substantial parts of the tableau.

Special Note: Patience is key in Klondike. While some games may be unsolvable, strategic thinking often leads to success.