Crescent Solitaire

Crescent Solitaire is a two-deck patience game laid out as sixteen piles around eight foundations. Build one set of foundations up from Ace to King and the other down from King to Ace, moving cards between piles by suit — and use your three shifts wisely.

How to play Crescent Solitaire

• The game uses two decks (104 cards). One Ace and one King of each suit start on the eight foundations. The other 96 cards are dealt face up into 16 piles of six.
• The four Ace foundations (marked A) build up by suit to the King. The four King foundations (marked K) build down by suit to the Ace.
• Only the top card of each pile (the right-most card) can move. Move it to a foundation, or onto the top card of another pile of the same suit that is one rank higher or lower. Kings and Aces connect, so a K♠ may go on an A♠ and the other way round.
• An empty pile stays empty — nothing can be placed there.
• When the Ace and King foundations of a suit meet, the top card of one may cross over to the other if it fits.
• Shift: up to three times per game, press Shift to move the bottom card of every pile to its top. This brings buried cards into play.
• You win when all 104 cards are on the foundations.

Controls

• Tap a top card to send it to the best spot (a foundation first), or drag it onto a pile or foundation. Double-tap sends it straight up.
• Press Shift in the toolbar when you run out of moves.
• Keyboard: S shifts, U or Ctrl+Z undoes, H shows a hint, N starts a new game. Arrow keys move between cards and Enter plays the focused one.

Tips

• Builds on the piles can go both up and down, so you can often reverse a short run to reach the card you need.
• Before shifting, make every useful move first — a shift may bury a card that was just about to play.
• Remember that empty piles are lost forever. Empty one only when the card underneath is going straight to a foundation.
• Watch both foundations of a suit: a card that does not fit the Ace pile may fit the King pile.

FAQ

How do you play Crescent Solitaire?

Move the top cards of the 16 piles onto the foundations (Aces building up, Kings building down) or onto another pile of the same suit one rank higher or lower. When stuck, shift the piles up to three times. Clear all 104 cards to win.

What does the Shift button do?

It takes the bottom card of every pile that has two or more cards and puts it on top. You get three shifts per game (five on the easier setting).

Can I move a card into an empty pile?

No. In Crescent a pile that has been emptied stays empty for the rest of the game.

How hard is Crescent Solitaire?

It is a moderately hard game: with careful play and good use of the shifts, a large share of deals can be won. Undo and hints are always available.