Crescent Solitaire is a two-deck patience game with a distinctive visual layout and an unusual dual-direction foundation system. Sixteen tableau piles arc around a central block of eight foundations, four that build up from Aces and four that build down from Kings, forming the crescent shape that gives the game its name. Top cards go to a foundation, or onto another pile of the same suit one rank away, which is the move most players overlook. A limited shuffle mechanic provides relief when you get stuck, but using it wisely is part of the challenge.
Game Setup
Crescent Solitaire uses two complete standard decks shuffled together (104 cards). Set up the playing area as follows:
Foundations (center): Remove one Ace of each suit and one King of each suit from the deck (8 cards total). Place the four Aces in a row as the Ace foundations and the four Kings in a row as the King foundations. These eight piles form two rows in the center of the table.
Tableau (crescent): Deal the remaining 96 cards face-up into 16 piles of 6 cards each. Arrange these piles in a crescent (half-moon) shape around the foundations. Only the top card of each pile is available for play; the five cards beneath it are locked until exposed.
Foundation Building
Crescent Solitaire features two types of foundations, both of which require same-suit placement:
Ace foundations build up in suit: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.
King foundations build down in suit: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.
Because two decks are used, each suit appears twice. You will therefore have two Ace foundations of the same suit (one from each deck) and two King foundations of the same suit. For instance, both an Ace of Spades foundation building up and a King of Spades foundation building down will exist simultaneously.
Gameplay
Moving Cards
On each turn, examine the top card of each of the 16 tableau piles. A top card has two possible destinations: a foundation it extends, or another tableau pile. Key constraints:
Only the top card of a tableau pile may be moved, and only one at a time.
To go to a foundation, a card must match both the suit and the next required rank of that foundation.
To go onto another tableau pile, it must match that pile's top card in suit and sit exactly one rank above or below it. A 7 of clubs accepts the 6 or the 8 of clubs.
There is no round-the-corner turn on the tableau: a King does not accept an Ace, and an Ace does not accept a King.
Once a pile is empty it stays empty. Nothing can be moved into the gap.
When a top card leaves a pile, the card beneath it becomes the new top card and is now available for play. Tableau moves are the game's main tactical resource: sliding a 7 of clubs onto an 8 of clubs uncovers whatever the 7 was sitting on and costs you nothing.
The Shuffle Mechanic
The shuffle is available at any time, not only when you are stuck, though spending one while moves remain wastes it. A shuffle works as follows:
For each tableau pile holding two or more cards, the bottom card of the pile is moved to the top. Piles down to a single card are left alone.
This exposes a previously buried card as the new bottom card and gives you a fresh top card to work with.
You are allowed a maximum of 3 shuffles per game.
The shuffle is your last tool for getting unstuck, after tableau moves are exhausted. Burning all three early leaves you with no recourse later when deeper cards block your progress.
Winning and Losing
The game is won when all 104 cards have been moved from the tableau to the eight foundation piles. Each completed Ace foundation will contain 13 cards of one suit running from Ace up to King, and each completed King foundation will contain 13 cards of one suit running from King down to Ace. The game is lost when no top card can be moved to a foundation or onto another tableau pile and all three shuffles have been used.
Quick Reference
Decks: 2 standard decks (104 cards)
Foundations: 8 piles — 4 Ace foundations (build up by suit) + 4 King foundations (build down by suit)
Tableau: 16 piles of 6 cards each, arranged in a crescent
Available Cards: Top card of each tableau pile only
Tableau Building: Top card onto another pile of the same suit, one rank up or down; no King-Ace turn; empty piles never refill
Shuffles: Up to 3 per game (bottom card of each pile moves to top)
Goal: Move all 104 cards to the 8 foundation piles
Quick Tips
Scan all 16 tableau tops before every move. It is common to overlook a playable card on the far side of the crescent.
Remember that each suit has two foundation tracks (one ascending, one descending). A card that does not fit one track may fit the other.
Delay shuffles as long as possible. Each shuffle is a finite resource, and the later you use one, the more cards will have already been cleared from the tableau.
Pay attention to which cards are buried. If a critical card is stuck at the bottom of a six-card pile, you may need a shuffle to surface it.
Ready to try the crescent layout for yourself? Start a game and see how many cards you can clear to the foundations.
