Play Waxing Moon Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Twelve tableau piles, four cards apiece, no runs to stack, and just one pass through the stock: this Forty Thieves variant is a genuinely hard climb.

Thomas Warfield's Forty Thieves Solitaire variant is one of the toughest in the family: twelve tableau piles, four cards dealt face-up to each, and no stacking runs of cards around the board, so every card moves on its own. You only get one pass through the stock, which makes for a genuinely hard climb.

Waning Moon Solitaire is its closest relative: the same idea spread across thirteen piles instead of twelve.

If the one-pass grind wears you down, Solitaire offers redeals and room to breathe.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Enjoy playing!

How to play Waxing Moon Solitaire

Layout:

8 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in the same suit.

12 tableau piles: Build down in the same suit. Only one card moves at a time; sequences can't be moved as a group. Only a King may fill an empty pile. Four cards are dealt to each pile at the start, all face-up.

Stock: Click to turn over one card at a time to the waste. There are no redeals.

Waste: The top card can be played on the foundations or tableau.

Foundation:

There are eight foundation piles.

An ace already on the foundation can move to any vacant foundation pile.

A card can be added to a foundation pile if it's one rank higher than the pile's top card and the same suit. So the only card that fits on a 10 of clubs is a J of clubs. Each pile holds at most 13 cards.

The top card of each foundation can move back into play if another pile will accept it.

Tableau:

Each of the twelve tableau piles is dealt four cards, all face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile if it's one rank lower than the pile's top card and the same suit. So the only card that fits on an 8 of clubs is a 7 of clubs.

Any uncovered tableau card is free to move to the foundation or another tableau pile.

Only a King may fill an empty tableau column.

Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences are not permitted.

Stock and waste:

There's one waste pile; everything else makes up the stock.

Click the stock to deal one card to the waste. You get a single pass through the stock, with no redeal.

The top card of the waste can be played to the tableau or foundation.