How to play
TriPeaks is a fast solitaire game for one player. Twenty-eight cards are laid out in three overlapping peaks, and your goal is to clear all of them. The remaining cards form the stock at the bottom: one card is already face up on the waste, and 23 wait face down in the stock.
Look at the waste card and find a free card on the table that is exactly one rank higher or lower. Click it and it jumps onto the waste, where it becomes the new card to match. A long run of cards played without drawing makes a high score. When nothing fits, click the stock to turn a new card onto the waste.
Rules
- The table: the peaks have rows of 3, 6, 9 and 10 cards. Only the bottom row of 10 starts face up. Every other card is covered by two cards from the row below it.
- Uncovering: a card turns face up as soon as both cards covering it have been removed. Only face-up, uncovered cards can be played.
- Matching: a card can be played if its rank is exactly one higher or one lower than the waste card. Suits do not matter: a 7 of any suit accepts a 6 or an 8.
- Wrap-around: with the option switched on, a King and an Ace count as neighbours, so a King accepts an Ace and an Ace accepts a King. It is on by default and makes the game easier. Changing it applies to the next new game.
- The stock: click the stock to turn the next card onto the waste. This ends your current streak. There is no redeal, so the 23 stock cards are all you get.
- Winning and losing: you win when all 28 table cards are gone. You lose when the stock is empty and no table card can be played.
Scoring
- Streak: every card you play in a row without drawing from the stock scores more than the last. The first card of a streak is worth 1 point, the second 2, the third 3, and so on. Drawing from the stock resets the streak to zero, and the current value is shown as Streak ×N.
- Peak bonus: removing the top card of a peak gives +15 points for the first peak, +15 for the second and +30 for the third and last.
- Stock bonus: when you win, every card still left in the stock adds +10 points.
- Undo: taking back a card play also takes back its points and its place in the streak. Taking back a draw restores the board but not the streak you lost by drawing, so undo cannot be used to keep a streak alive.
Winnable deals and options
Most TriPeaks deals can be won, but not all. With Winnable deals only switched on, which is the default, the game checks each new deal with a solver and only gives you one that has at least one winning line. If that takes too long it simply tries another deal. Switch the option off to take whatever the shuffle gives you. The Hint button uses the same solver.
Controls
- Mouse and touch: click or tap a face-up card to play it, and click or tap the stock to draw. A card that cannot be played shakes.
- Keyboard: press Tab to move through the playable cards, then Enter or Space to play the focused card. Outside the table, Space or D draws from the stock, U or Ctrl+Z undoes and H shows a hint.
- Buttons: Undo has no limit. Restart replays the same deal, and New game deals fresh cards.
Tips and strategy
- Think before you click. Look for the longest chain you can build before playing the first card. A chain of ten scores far more than ten single plays.
- Uncover cards that open the most. Prefer plays that free a covered card, especially in the middle of a peak, because each new face-up card gives you another option.
- Go up and down. Runs such as 6, 7, 6, 5 let you use cards that otherwise have no partner.
- Save the stock. Every card left in the stock is worth 10 points at the end, and every draw breaks your streak, so draw only when you really have no play.
Frequently asked questions
Can every deal be won?
No. Some random deals cannot be won whatever you do. That is why the game offers winnable deals only.
Why can a King sit next to an Ace?
That is the wrap-around option. Many versions let the ranks form a circle, which makes the game easier. Switch it off for a stricter game.
How are moves and time counted?
Each card you play and each card you draw counts as one move. The timer starts with your first move and pauses while the page is hidden.
Is my game saved if I close the page?
Yes. The game in progress, your options and your statistics are stored in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Does it work on phones and offline?
Yes. The table scales to fit small screens, and once the page has loaded it needs no internet connection.