Pyramid Solitaire

How to play Pyramid Solitaire

Twenty-eight cards are laid out in a pyramid of seven rows. Your goal is to clear the whole pyramid by removing pairs of cards that add up to 13. It's a quick, cheerful game of adding up — and every new game we deal can be won.

What the cards are worth

Number cards count as their number. An Ace is 1, a Jack 11 and a Queen 12. A King is 13 all by itself, so it can be removed on its own. These are the pairs that make 13:

Which cards you can use

• A card in the pyramid can be used once it's uncovered — when both cards lying across its lower edge have gone. At the start, that's only the bottom row.
• The top card of the waste pile (the face-up card next to the stock) can always be used, paired with an uncovered pyramid card.
• Tap one card, then its partner, and both are cleared away. Tap a King once to clear it.

The stock

The other 24 cards wait face down in the stock at the top left. Tap it to turn one card onto the waste. When the stock runs out, tap the empty space to turn the cards back over and go through them again. In Settings you can choose to go through the stock as many times as you like (the relaxed way, and the way we start you off) or only three times, which makes the game noticeably harder.

Tips

• Clear Kings as soon as they're uncovered. They need no partner, so there's never a reason to wait.
• Pair pyramid cards with each other first. A pair from the pyramid clears two cards at once, while a pair with the waste clears only one. The stock cards will come round again.
• When a card has two possible partners, pick the one that uncovers more. A card that's lying across two others is usually the better one to clear.
• Watch for cards buried under their own partners. If a 6 is covered by both of the 7s that could free it, you'll need the other 7s from the stock — so don't use those up somewhere else.
• Use the Hint button when you're unsure. Our hints only ever suggest a move that keeps the game winnable, and they'll tell you honestly when a game can no longer be won.

Questions

Can every game be won?

Not every deal of Pyramid can be won: in our own tests, about one random deal in three can't be cleared even with unlimited passes and perfect play. That's why we check every new and daily game before dealing it, and only deal ones that can be won. (A game number you type in yourself is dealt exactly as it is.)

Why can't I use that card?

It's still covered. Each card in the pyramid is held down by the two cards lying across its lower edge, and both have to be cleared first.

The hint says the game can't be won any more. What happened?

Usually a card has been left with no partner it can ever reach — for example, a 6 buried under the last 7 in the deck. Undo a few moves and try pairing differently; the Hint button will show you a way through.

Is my game saved?

Yes. Your game is saved automatically in this browser, so you can close the page and come back later on the same device.

What is the deal number?

Every deal has a number, and the same number always gives the same cards. Bookmark the page or share the link to play a deal again — or try today's deal, which is the same for everyone.