TriPeaks Solitaire ● 1.4.1

TriPeaks Solitaire is a captivating card game that follows a set of rules designed to challenge and entertain players. In this review, we will delve into the setup, gameplay, win conditions, losing scenarios, scoring, and the intriguing winnable percentage of TriPeaks Solitaire.

Setup

The game board is divided into three distinct peaks or pyramids, each consisting of four cards. The peaks share the lowest level, with the cards at this level face up while the higher ones are face down. In addition to the peaks, there are two other piles:

• The Stock: Located at the bottom left corner, this pile is facedown and is used to draw cards that are placed on the Waste pile.
• The Waste: Situated next to the Stock, this pile starts off empty and consists of faceup cards.

Gameplay

The objective of TriPeaks Solitaire is to move all the cards from the three Peaks onto the Waste pile. However, there are certain rules you must adhere to:

• You can only move open cards to the Waste pile. A card is considered open if there are no other cards covering it. Initially, the entire bottom row is open. As you move cards from the Peaks, more cards become accessible for movement.
• To move a card onto the Waste pile, it must rank one higher or one lower than the topmost card on the pile. For example, if there is a 6 on the Waste pile, you can place a 5 or a 7 on top of it. You can also "turn the corner," which means you can go from King to Ace or from Ace to King.

If you don't have any cards in the Peaks that can be moved to the Waste pile, you can take a card from the Stock pile and turn it over onto the Waste pile. However, you can only go through the Stock pile once with no option to reset. Therefore, use this option sparingly and only when there are no other moves available.

Winning

To achieve victory in TriPeaks Solitaire, you must successfully move all the cards from the three Peaks onto the Waste pile. The number of cards remaining in the Stock pile does not impact your win status.

Losing

If you reach a point where there are no possible moves to be made from the Peaks and there are no more cards left in the Stock pile, you have lost the game. However, don't fret as you will be notified of this outcome. Plus, you have the option to use the Undo button to explore alternative strategies.

Scoring

Your score in TriPeaks Solitaire is determined by the number of cards left at the end of each game. Ideally, your aim is to have no cards remaining for a perfect score. Additionally, the game keeps track of your moves, rewarding players with fewer moves for achieving victory. This means that winning with fewer moves is considered a superior accomplishment. The game also maintains records for each of its 50,000 numbered games. As such, you may receive notifications if you are the first to win a particular game, break a record or achieve the highest result for a specific game, even if it remains incomplete.

Winnable %

According to Wikipedia, TriPeaks Solitaire was invented by Robert Hogue in 1989. Hogue performed computer statistical analysis on the original game and discovered that over 90% of all dealt games are solvable. This fascinating winnable percentage adds an element of excitement to the gameplay, as players engage in strategic decision-making with the knowledge that most games can be won.