I have come up with a solitaire game for the Decktet. It is an adaptation and improvement on a game played with standard playing cards. I'm not sure the name of that one. Please let me know if the instructions make sense as written, and if you have a chance to give it a play test let me know what you think.
Cascades
Designed by | Joe Conard |
Players | 1 |
Length | 5 min |
Extra Material | Optional Extended Decktet |
a Decktet solitaire game. (DRAFT)
Overview
Cascades is a Decktet solitaire game where the player progresses through the deck three cards at a time attempting to legally play all the cards into three tiers. The game ends when all cards are played, or none of the remaining cards are able to be played.
This game is an adaptation of a solitair game using standard playing cards. Playing with The Decktet changes the game a lot and adds many more interesting decisions while playing than the original game.
Setup
Cascades can be played with the standard Decktet or optionally with all the pawns and courts. The only card not used is The Excuse.
Shuffle the cards and deal in a verticle column along the left side of the playing area three piles of three cards each, all face down. These are the draw piles. The remaining cards will be kept in a the deck to be turned over three at a time during play.
Game Play
To begin play turn over the top three cards of the deck and play the top card just to the right of the top draw pile. This forms the beginning of the first tier. Then continue to play from the deck to any tier according to the rules below. Work through the deck three cards at a time.
After the first pass through the deck turn over the top card in the top draw pile. You may play the cards one by one from this pile in the same way that cars were played from the deck. After the second pass through the deck play from the middle draw pile and likewise begin playing from the bottom draw pile after the third pass through the deck. Once a draw pile is free to be played the top card may be played at anytime.
Cards are played at the right end of each tier. To play a card on the end at least one suit on the card to be played must match the suit of the card that is already on the end.
For the ranked cards only one of each rank is allowed in a tier. To play a card on the middle or bottom tier that card must already be played in the tier above.
Aces and Crowns
Aces and Crowns must also follow suit and there must be an ace in the tier above to play one in a lower tier. Because there are six they can be played two to a tier. No tier may have more than two aces or two crowns played. To play a second ace or crown on a lower tier, the tier directly above it must have two of the same card.
Note that since aces and crowns only have one suit they create a bottleneck of reduced play possbilities on the tier. Be careful when and how they are played.
Pawns and Courts
The pawns and courts are optional. Because they have three suits they are both easier to play and they open up the tier so there are more options for the next card to be played.
Because there are for of each the top tier allows two pawns and two courts to be played, but the second pawn or court can only be played on the top tier when the corresponding card has been played on the bottome tier. So the second pawn or court on the top tier is always the last one played.
End Game
The game ends in one of two ways. A winning game will end when all cards in the deck and in the draw piles are played somewhere in the three tiers. A game is lost when after at least trips through the deck there are no playable cards in the deck or on top of any of the draw piles.