How to play Beleaguered Castle

The goal

The layout

• The four Aces start on the foundations, the castle’s middle column. Each builds up in its own suit to the King.
• The other 48 cards are dealt face up into eight rows of six, four on each side. On a tall phone screen the rows stand as columns under the foundations instead.
• Only the last card of each row (the one on top, fully showing) can move.

Moving cards

• Move one card at a time.
• In the rows, build down regardless of suit: any 6 can go on any 7.
• An empty row takes any card. Emptying a row is the key to the game, so use the space wisely.
• Cards on a foundation stay there.

Controls

• Drag a row’s top card to move it.
• Double-tap a card to send it to the best spot: its foundation first, then a row it builds on, then an empty row.
• Cards no other card could still need go up to the foundations automatically, which also finishes the game once every row is in order.
• Undo takes back your last move along with any automatic plays that followed it. New game can also restart the current deal.
• On a keyboard, keys 1–8 play a row’s top card (left side top to bottom, then the right), and U undoes.

Modes

• Winnable: every deal has been checked by a solver and can be won.
• Classic: any shuffle at all. Roughly a third of these can’t be won.
• Streets and Alleys: the Aces are shuffled in too, dealt into the rows. The foundations start empty and the game is harder.
• Records are kept separately for each mode.

Tips

• Look for low cards buried under high ones: those rows need sorting first.
• Try to empty the shortest row early, and don’t fill an empty row without a plan.
• If no moves are left, a note appears: undo a few moves or start a new game.

Questions

Strategy guides