Castle Solitaire

Castle Solitaire is such a simple game to learn to play. It’s easier than your average game of Solitaire and more straightforward than a lot of similar games due to its easy-to-understand gameplay and rules (hint: there aren’t many rules!) The aim of the game is to build your castles and collect the flag at the end by gathering each suit of cards (from ace to king).

There are some Solitaire Castle games free online which have extra aspects of fun due to the customization on offer (backgrounds, patterns, and progressing through levels) which you cannot access when playing with physical cards. Castle Solitaire free online can be preferred because of this reason. However, that doesn’t mean that if you’re playing the game with cards you won’t enjoy it, it is still plenty of fun!

How to play Castle Solitaire

Solitaire Castle is very easy to play due to its simple rules and easy gameplay. The aim of the game is to collect all the cards in the deck, organized into suits. To achieve this, the four aces should already be placed in front of you along with a line of six, upturned cards. You need to collect the suits by layering them on cards of the same suit that are one number above. For example, you could place a six of hearts on top of a seven of hearts. Once you’ve collected all the cards available, then you can reveal three cards at a time from the deck and place them on the tableau.

You should place the lower cards (twos and threes) on top of the aces so that they’re out of the way and then you can begin to collect higher numbers of cards. Once you’ve collected all the cards in one suit, you need to collect the rest of the suits to win the game.

If you find the game too easy for you, lots of Castle Solitaire online games or Solitaire Castle free apps allow you to switch from easy mode to hard mode (and vice versa if you’re struggling).

Types of Castle Solitaire

There are a few different variations of the Castle Solitaire card game including the most common and popular ones: Beleaguered Castle Solitaire and Fortress Solitaire. However, Beleaguered Castle Solitaire is thought to be more difficult than usual Solitaire Castle due to the more complex card layout required.

Beleaguered Castle Solitaire is set out with the four aces laid out in the middle, surrounded by eight piles spread out, each containing six cards. Once the cards are laid out, you have to collect the suits (like the original Castle Solitaire) by stacking cards in descending order of numbers (the suit or color doesn’t matter). The aim is to collect all the suits (like playing Castle Solitaire).

Another popular type of Solitaire Castle is Fortress Solitaire which features the aces already separated to collect all the suits, again, like playing Castle Solitaire free online. But instead of there being six cards laid out, the rest of the deck is laid out with five lines of ten cards then an extra card placed on the end, creating a sixth row made up of one card at each end.

Strategies of Castle Solitaire

Solitaire games take patience to complete as sometimes they can be frustrating, especially if you’re not playing online because then there’s the added issue of setting up the cards correctly. The first thing to do once setting up Solitaire Castle or after logging into Castle Solitaire free online is to clear the tableau (starting board) of any cards that you can, including stacking them on top of each other. However, make sure to remember that the suits do not alternate and you can only stack those of the same suit.

Try to start Solitaire Castle free games by stacking and starting suits with a high card (king or queen) so that you have lots of room to add more cards and are not restricted.

Make sure to be careful not to skip over cards as they are revealed because you could restrict the moves you can make. Although if you’re playing online then there will likely be an undo button so that you can undo any move you make accidentally or regret. This is a very handy tool for beginners who are getting to grips with the rules and play of the game.

Tips for Castle Solitaire

Other than key strategies to implement, the main tip for the game or surrounding Castle Solitaire is to not rush it. If you rush through the game then you will miss opportunities and make mistakes which will make it more difficult for you to win. 

Another tip for Castle Solitaire is to play regularly or fairly often. You don’t have to play every day or anything like that but the more you play, the more you get acquainted with the game and get to know it better meaning the game will become easier and more fun for you to play. Also, if you improve then you can play harder versions making it more of a challenge for you.

Conclusion

As you’ve read, Castle Solitaire is a very simple game to play and get your head around. There are very few rules, the most important one being to only stack cards of the same suit on top of each other - that is the main one if you remember that then you’re ready to play!

If you find the original Castle Solitaire games too easy then there are a few branches of similar games for you to explore like Beleaguered Castle Solitaire and Fortress Solitaire.