How to play Baker’s Dozen

The goal

The layout

• One deck is dealt face up into thirteen columns of four cards: a baker’s dozen.
• Any King is moved to the bottom of its column as it’s dealt, so no King ever covers another card.
• The four foundations, marked “A”, start empty. Each builds up in one suit from Ace to King.

Moving cards

• Only the top card of a column can move, one card at a time.
• In the columns, build down regardless of suit: any 6 can go on any 7.
• An empty column stays empty. Nothing can be moved into it.
• Cards on a foundation stay there.

Controls

• Drag a top card to move it.
• Double-tap a top card to send it to the best spot: its foundation first, then a column.
• Cards nothing else could need go up to the foundations automatically, and once the rest plays out by itself, every card does.
• Undo takes back your last move, with any automatic plays that followed it. On a keyboard, U undoes.
• New game deals a fresh layout or restarts this one. Every new deal has been checked to be winnable.

Tips

• Look for low cards buried under high ones: Aces and Twos near the bottom of a column are the ones to dig out first.
• Before moving a card onto a column, check what it covers. Burying a card the foundations will soon need can cost the game.
• Clearing a column gains nothing, since it can’t be refilled. Use cards as places to build instead.

Questions

Strategy guides