How do you play Pyramid Solitaire?
Twenty eight cards are dealt in a seven row pyramid. Remove any two uncovered cards that add up to 13, and clear every card up to the peak to win.
All pyramid cards are dealt face up and the other 24 cards form the stock. A card is only free once both cards overlapping it from the row below are gone, so you work from the bottom row upward.
What are the card values?
Ace is 1, Jack is 11, Queen is 12 and King is 13. Every other card counts its number. A King is worth 13 by itself, so it is removed alone.
| Pair | Sum |
|---|---|
| A + Q | 1 + 12 |
| 2 + J | 2 + 11 |
| 3 + 10 | 3 + 10 |
| 4 + 9 · 5 + 8 · 6 + 7 | 13 |
| K | 13 alone |
How do the stock and redeals work?
- Stock: tap it to turn one card onto the waste pile.
- Waste: its top card can pair with any uncovered pyramid card, and a King there is removed alone.
- Redeals: when the stock runs out, the waste turns over to become the stock again. Unlimited on Easy, twice on Normal and never on Hard.
- Winning: you win as soon as the pyramid is empty, even with cards left in the stock.
What do the modes change?
Easy only deals games that are checked to be winnable. Normal and Hard use fully random deals, so some cannot be solved. Rounds uses Normal rules and carries your score from one cleared pyramid to the next.
Each removed card scores 5 points. Clearing the pyramid adds 100 points plus 10 for every card still in the stock.
Tips
- Clear the pairs that free the most cards. Two pairs both make 13, but the one that opens up a higher card is usually better.
- Count where the partners are. There are only four of each rank, and if all four partners are buried above a card, that card is stuck.
- Save stock cards when you can. If two pyramid cards pair up, use them and keep the stock card for later.
- Use undo and hints. The hint makes a playable pair blink.
When no pair is left you get a notice, and you can undo back to try another line. Best times for each level and your best Rounds score are saved in this browser.