Comments for page "Ivory Tower"

Re: When reaching the end of the deck...

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:49:51 +0000

Goes to show how different expectations are. The game fell completely flat for me. Apart from Aces and Crowns, there are only 24 ways to stack a card on another in the resource piles. This cuts decisions a bit too much to my taste.

I agree it has problems.

The rules are are here in the wiki because the wiki aims to be comprehensive. And the idea of Ivory Tower is simple enough. If it weren't here, someone would end up reinventing it.

There's a a thread from a few years ago at BGG with several proposed variants.

Re: When reaching the end of the deck...

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 12:32:25 +0000

So far, though, this is definitely my favorite solitaire game. Thanks Mr. Magnus.

Goes to show how different expectations are. The game fell completely flat for me. Apart from Aces and Crowns, there are only 24 ways to stack a card on another in the resource piles. This cuts decisions a bit too much to my taste.

I tried a variant where Pawns and Crowns count as wild cards wrt rank (but not suit), while the tower still ranges from Ace to 9, then Crown. This seems to make for a bit more decisions. Seemed to easy to win at first glance.

Re: When reaching the end of the deck...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 23:03:40 +0000

I must be doing it wrong. I'm 3 for 4 because I got greedy on my resource piles one game and worked myself into a lock.

I've played the way the rules are written: only veiwing the top card of your hand, not changing the tower except to add to it, and, as you stated, looking at whatever hand you have at the end of the deck before flipping the discard pile and drawing a new hand of 3. And I found the rules presented to be easier and cleaner than adding the discard pile to the last hand if the hand is not at least 3 cards.

Also, adding the pawns and the courts seems to make the game (well, managing the resource piles) much harder.

So far, though, this is definitely my favorite solitaire game. Thanks Mr. Magnus.

Re: When reaching the end of the deck...

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:28:35 +0000

If there are only one or two cards left, I look at the last card before flipping the draw pile over and going through 3 by 3. So the 1st and 2nd card in the draw pile won't come up just by going through again and again. Your suggestion would make the game easier.

I only look at the top card when drawing three by three. Looking at all three cards would make the game easier, although it might induce option paralysis.

As with all solitaires, you are welcome to adopt whatever variant you prefer. Making the game easier might not be a bad thing.

When reaching the end of the deck...

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:19:53 +0000

When you reach the end of the deck and you have only one or two cards left in your hand, do you simply lay down these cards onto the draw pile, or do you take the draw pile, put it back behind the few cards you are holding, and lay down three cards? This is of importance: when you draw cards three by three, only the top one is accessible; however, if you proceed as suggested, the next time you go through the deck, you will access cards that were previously not accessible, which makes the game easier.

And yet another question: when you draw the cards three by three, are you allowed to see all three cards, or only the top one?

(no title)

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:01:57 +0000

1. Makes sence as an "optional" rule - including point 3 (last card in tower is not available, so
there is no point to have all Tower cards visible).

2. So I could, at the beginning of the game, page through the draw pile completely before I
really start my game.

3. Maybe this should be stated in the rules.

Anyway, thank you for the fast answer.

Re: Three questions about the rules

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:11:02 +0000

1. This is up to you. Since it's solitaire, you can give yourself more (less) information to make it easier (harder). I have typically played so that I could see every card in the Resource piles but only in the top card in the Tower.

2. Yes.

3. No.

Three questions about the rules

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:41:48 +0000

I have three questions regarding the rules of Ivory Tower:

Do you place cards in the Tower and Resource pile in such a way that only the last card is visible, or are you allowed to see all cards that build the Tower and Resource piles ?
Is it allowed to turn over three more cards from the deck if the top most card of the draw pile could be placed either on a Resource pile or on the Tower ?
Is it allowed to move the highest card from the Tower to a Resource pile ? I.e. is the last card you placed on the Tower still available ?