Description
TriPeaks Solitaire is a fast, satisfying card game built around clearing three overlapping peaks one card at a time. It is forgiving enough for beginners, but still rewards quick pattern-spotting and careful choices, making it a gentler entry point than Klondike or Pyramid Solitaire. You can play this version free online with no download required.## How to Play TriPeaks Solitaire
The tableau contains 28 cards arranged as three overlapping peaks above one shared base row. Each peak consists of a top card, two cards beneath it and three cards beneath those. These cards begin covered, while all 10 cards in the common base row are exposed and available from the start.
Your aim is to move exposed tableau cards onto the waste pile. A card can be played when it is exactly one rank higher or one rank lower than the card currently on top of the waste pile. For example, you can place a 7 on a 6 or an 8. Suits and colours do not matter.
Kings and Aces wrap around in this version. This means you can play a King on an Ace or an Ace on a King, creating extra opportunities to continue a sequence.
Whenever you remove a card, check whether it uncovers another card higher in the peaks. A covered card becomes playable only after every card overlapping it has been cleared.
If no exposed card can be played, draw the next card from the stock onto the waste pile and look for a new move. There is only one pass through the stock and no redeals, so every drawn card moves you closer to the end of the game.
You win as soon as all 28 tableau cards have been cleared. It does not matter if cards are still left in the stock. You lose if the stock runs out and no available tableau card can be played.
## Tips to Get Started
* Before drawing, check for a King-to-Ace or Ace-to-King move. The wraparound rule can keep a promising sequence going.
* Prioritise moves that uncover new cards. Opening the peaks gives you more choices and makes longer runs possible.
* Look ahead before choosing between two playable cards. One option may reveal another immediate move, while the other could leave you stuck.
* Do not save a useful card for later without a clear reason. With no redeal, a missed opportunity cannot be recovered once you have moved through the stock.
Instructions
## Strategy Tips### Open Up New Cards First
When you have more than one valid move, prioritise the play that exposes a new tableau card. Remember that a card is not available until both cards directly covering it have been removed, so try to clear matching pairs of blockers rather than working on only one side.
### Plan for Longer Scoring Streaks
Each consecutive tableau play is worth one point more than the previous one, while drawing from the stock resets the streak to zero. When several moves are available, look for the route that creates the longest chain, rather than automatically playing the first card you notice.
### Check All Three Peaks Before Drawing
It is easy to focus on one peak and overlook a playable card elsewhere. Before using another stock card, scan every exposed card across the full tableau, as one missed move could end a valuable streak and waste a one-time stock draw.
### Use the King–Ace Wraparound
Kings and Aces are not dead ends in this version: a King can be played on an Ace, and an Ace can be played on a King. Keep this connection in mind when planning a sequence, especially when it could bridge two otherwise separate runs.
### Do Not Save an Obvious Move for Later
There are no redeals, so each stock card appears only once. Holding back a useful tableau card can mean losing the chance to play it altogether, particularly if the waste pile moves several ranks away after your next draw.
### Look Beneath the Current Move
Before choosing between two playable cards, consider what each one helps uncover. A move that removes the second blocker from a covered card is usually more useful than one that leaves another card trapped, and it may reveal the exact rank needed to extend your streak.
FAQs ## TriPeaks Solitaire
### How many cards are in the stock?
There are 24 cards in the stock. The tableau uses the other 28 cards from the standard 52-card deck. These stock cards provide new starting points when no exposed tableau card can continue the current sequence, but there is only one pass through them.
### Is TriPeaks the same as Tri Towers?
Yes, TriPeaks is also known as Tri Towers and Three Peaks. The names refer to the same three-part tableau shape rather than different rule sets. A game using one of those alternative titles may still need its exact build checked, but the names commonly identify the same solitaire family.
### Can every TriPeaks game be won?
No, some deals have no route to a complete clearance. The stock order is fixed and there are no redeals, so the cards needed to continue a sequence may never become available at the right time. A failed game is therefore not always caused by an incorrect choice.
### How is TriPeaks different from Pyramid Solitaire?
Both begin with 28 tableau cards, but TriPeaks clears them through consecutive ranks while Pyramid removes pairs totalling 13. TriPeaks has one pass through its stock and no redeals. Pyramid allows two redeals, giving three passes in total, but its pairing requirement creates a different type of restriction.
### Does my scoring streak carry over to the next game?
No, the streak resets when a new game begins. It measures consecutive tableau plays within the current deal only. Finishing one game with a long sequence therefore does not provide a scoring advantage in the next deal, which starts with its own fresh streak count.
