Beleaguered Castle
A compact open solitaire with aces under siege in the center.
Setup
Place the four aces as foundations. Deal the remaining cards into eight face-up rows around them.
How to Play
- Build foundations up by suit.
- Build tableau rows down regardless of suit.
- Move one top card at a time.
- Empty rows may take any card.
How to Win
Move all cards to foundations.
Empty rows are the key resource; use them to unwind blocked high cards.
Is Beleaguered Castle Right for You?
Beleaguered Castle places the four Aces up the middle as foundations, then deals the rest face-up into eight rows you build down by rank regardless of suit. Reach for it when you want a fully open solitaire with a satisfying, symmetrical layout and real decisions.
Maybe skip it if: If you want a quick mindless game, the all-visible board invites slow, deliberate planning instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing low cards to the foundations and stripping away the builders you needed in the rows.
- Forgetting you may move only one card at a time, so long transfers must be done step by step.
- Clogging a row with a high card you cannot place anywhere.
Strategy Tips
- Keep the foundations balanced; do not race one suit far ahead and starve yourself of builders.
- Try to empty a row, since an empty row accepts any card and is your most valuable resource.
- Hold low cards in the tableau as long as they are still useful for building before banking them.
Popular Variations
Streets and Alleys
The same layout but the Aces are not pre-placed, so you must free them yourself, making it harder.
Citadel
A variant where you may place cards on the foundations during the deal, easing the opening.
Our Take
We are fond of Beleaguered Castle: everything is face-up, so it is a clean test of planning, and many deals are winnable if you do not foolishly rush the foundations. It is one of the better picks when you want skill to matter more than the shuffle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do suits matter in Beleaguered Castle?
Foundations build up by suit from the Aces, but the tableau rows build down by rank alone, ignoring suit.
How winnable is Beleaguered Castle?
A solid majority of deals can be solved with careful play, especially if you avoid sending cards to the foundations too soon.