Pyramid Solitaire
In Pyramid Solitaire you have clear the pyramid by pairing cards that add up to thirteen. Kings go alone. Free, no install, no sign-up, no clock.
In Pyramid Solitaire, twenty-eight cards in a pyramid, and one rule: two cards that add up to thirteen are removed together. A king is worth thirteen, so it goes on its own.
about 20.7 KB
Works offline after the first visit. No install, no sign-up.
Loading the game…
How to play Pyramid Solitaire
The one rule
Any two cards whose ranks add up to exactly thirteen are removed as a pair, whatever their suits. Ace counts as one, jack as eleven, queen as twelve and king as thirteen — so a queen pairs with an ace, and a jack with a two.
A king goes alone
A king is worth thirteen by itself, so tapping one removes it immediately with nothing to pair it against. This is the only single-card move in the game.
Only uncovered cards can be taken
A card with anything resting on it is locked, and locked cards are drawn greyed out. The pyramid has to be dismantled from the top edge downwards, because every lower card is held by the ones above it.
The pile card plays too
The face-up card on the pile can pair with any uncovered pyramid card, and a king on the pile can be taken by itself. That is often how a stalled pyramid gets moving again.
When nothing pairs, turn the next card
There is no penalty and no timer. Turning over the next card replaces the pile card with a new one. When the pile is empty and no pair remains anywhere, the round ends.
Clearing all 28 wins
Remove every card in the pyramid and the round is won. Your score counts the cards you removed.
Pyramid Solitaire Tips and Strategy
Take every king you can see
A king is worth thirteen on its own, so it is the only card in the pyramid you can remove without a partner. Clear the kings before you plan anything else and the board drops in places nothing else can reach. The pile card counts as well, so a king sitting there goes straight away rather than waiting.
Spend the face cards early
A queen can only pair with an ace, a jack with a two, and a ten with a three, so those three ranks run out of partners faster than anything else on the table. Take them while the low cards are still lying free in the bottom rows. Leave them and you will be holding face cards that can never be matched again.
Scan the board before you turn
There is no cost to turning the next card, and there is a real cost to skipping a pair that was already available. Take a full look at the uncovered cards first and turn only when nothing pairs. Twenty-eight cards make fourteen pairs, and the last few are found by not wasting passes.
Take the pyramid top early
The card at the apex sits on two cards directly below it, so removing it frees two more at the same moment. The same is true across the top three rows, where every card is holding up something underneath. Work down from the peak rather than taking whatever happens to pair first along the bottom.
Pyramid Solitaire — Frequently Asked Questions
Why will a card not select?
Something is still resting on it. Cards are only available when everything above them has been cleared, and locked cards are greyed out.
Do suits matter?
No. Only the ranks, and only the fact that they total thirteen.
Can I clear a king on its own?
Yes. A king counts as thirteen, so it needs no partner and is removed as soon as you tap it — including a king on the pile.
What happens when I run out of cards?
When the pile is empty and no pair is available anywhere in the pyramid, the round ends. The status line says no move when that is the case.
Does it need installing or an account?
No. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer and works offline after the first visit.
Selection guide: best solitaire games