How to play
Pyramid Solitaire is a patience game for one player with a standard deck of 52 cards. Twenty-eight cards are dealt face up in a pyramid of seven rows, from one card at the top to seven at the bottom, and every card is partly covered by the two cards below it. The other 24 cards form the stock. Unlike Klondike and FreeCell, nothing is built in sequence and suits play no part: only the sum of two cards counts.
Your goal is to remove the whole pyramid. Pick two uncovered cards whose values add up to 13 and they leave the table together. A King is worth 13 on its own, so one click or tap removes it. When no pair is open, draw a card from the stock onto the waste: the top waste card can pair with any uncovered card of the pyramid.
Card values and pairs
| Card | Value | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | 1 | Queen |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 2 to 6 | Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 |
| 7, 8, 9, 10 | 7 to 10 | 6, 5, 4, 3 |
| Jack | 11 | 2 |
| Queen | 12 | Ace |
| King | 13 | removed alone |
Rules
- Uncovered cards: a card is free when both cards lying on it are gone. The bottom row of seven is free from the start.
- Pairs: two free cards, or one free card and the top card of the waste, are removed when they add up to exactly 13. Suits do not matter.
- Stock and waste: the stock turns its next card onto the waste. Only the top waste card can be used, and removing it uncovers the waste card below.
- Redeals: when the stock is empty you can turn the waste over and go through it again. Under the table you choose 0, 2 or unlimited redeals; 2 is the default, and a change applies from the next new game.
- Winning: you win as soon as the pyramid is empty. Cards left in the stock and the waste do not have to be cleared – they earn a bonus instead.
Scoring
- Every card you remove scores 5 points, so a pair is worth 10 and a King 5.
- Clearing a whole row of the pyramid adds 25 points.
- Clearing the pyramid adds 100 points, plus 10 for every card still in the stock and the waste.
- Undo takes the points back as well. Your best score, fastest win and win streak are kept in this browser.
Winnable deals, hints and dead ends
With Winnable deals only switched on, which is the default, the game checks every shuffle with a solver before you see it. Each shuffle gets up to a quarter of a second, and the whole search stops after 4 seconds. A test run on 22 October 2026 gave the same solver 2 seconds for each of 600 random deals: it proved about two in three winnable with 2 or unlimited redeals (390 and 398 deals) but only about one in twenty with none (27 deals). If no shuffle is proven in time, you get the last one together with a clear message that it is unproven.
Hint runs the same solver from your current position for up to 0.3 seconds and highlights a pair, a King or the stock. If it proves that the position can no longer be won, it tells you, so you can undo a few moves. The game also spots dead ends by itself: when no pair is open and no card the stock can still bring would ever fit, a No more moves panel offers Undo, New game, Restart deal or a last look at the table.
Controls
- Mouse and touch: click or tap a free card to select it – it turns green and lifts – then click a second card to complete the pair. A King goes with a single click. Click the stock to draw, or to redeal when it is empty. On a phone the cards are largest with the phone held upright; held sideways, Full screen gives them more room.
- Keyboard: the arrow keys move a cursor between the cards you can use, and Enter or Space picks the card under it. D draws, U or Ctrl+Z undoes, H shows a hint, Esc drops the selection and F switches full screen.
- Buttons: Undo has no limit, Restart replays the same deal, and New game shuffles a fresh one.
Tips and strategy
- Choose the better partner. If two 6s and one 7 are free, pair the 6 that uncovers more cards.
- Work from the bottom. A pair removed from the lower rows can free two new cards at once.
- Watch for blocks. A card can never pair with a card lying on top of it. If both remaining 8s cover a 5, that 5 needs an 8 from the stock.
- Use the waste before you draw. Drawing hides the top waste card under a new one, so play it first when it fits.
- Remove Kings at once. They never need a partner, and every King that leaves frees the cards under it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to clear the stock as well?
No. The game is won when the 28 cards of the pyramid are gone, and every card left in the stock and the waste adds 10 points.