Three Peaks is a fast solitaire where you climb a number line instead of building columns. You clear three little mountains of cards by playing cards one higher or one lower than the one you just played.

How to play

The goal is to clear all 28 cards from the three peaks. The cards are laid out face up in overlapping rows: three cards at the tops of the peaks, then rows of six and nine, then ten cards across the bottom.

One card is already turned up beside the deck. This is the card you play onto.

Playing a card: tap an open card that is exactly one rank higher or one rank lower than the card beside the deck. Suit and color do not matter. After a 7, you can play a 6 or an 8.
Open cards: a card is open when nothing covers it. The bottom row starts open, and each upper card opens when the two cards below it are gone.
Kings and aces join: an ace can go on a king and a king can go on an ace, so runs can turn the corner.
No fit: when nothing fits, tap the deck to turn a new card onto the pile. The new card becomes the one you play onto.
One trip: the deck goes through only once. There is no turning it over again.

You win when all three peaks are gone. The status bar shows how many cards remain in the deck and how many are left on the table.

On a phone, tap the card you want. On a computer, click it. Undo takes back a move. Hint points at a card you can play.

The levels

All levels use the same layout. They differ in how the cards fall, and all deals can be won.

Easy: long runs come easily.
Medium: some choices matter.
Hard: you pick which matching card to take.
Expert: winnable, but almost every way of playing loses.

The levels were sorted by testing. In the project's check of 4,000 deals, 173 had no win that the solver could find, and those are not dealt. The rest were graded by how often a player with no plan managed to win them. As a rough guide, a computer that only followed the Hint button won 85 of 200 Easy deals, 16 of 200 Medium, 5 of 200 Hard and 1 of 200 Expert.

Today's game

The daily game is a Medium deal. Anyone who opens it on the same calendar day gets the same three peaks.

Tips

Look at the whole table before the first move. Count how many cards are one step away from the card beside the deck.
Aim for a long chain. A run of five or six cards in a row saves a card from the deck.
The deck is short, so every card you turn is precious. Use it only when nothing on the table fits.
When two cards fit, take the one that uncovers more cards, or that leads into a longer chain.
Watch for the kings and aces. They let a run climb up and come back down.
Open the middle of a peak early. A card that stays covered cannot join a chain.
If a card has only one neighbor that could ever follow it, plan around that card first.

A bit of history

Three Peaks is a patience game built on the same idea as other "one up, one down" solitaires. The three-mountain layout gives it its name.

Questions

Why does the game let me put a king on an ace? Here the number line is a circle. A king and an ace count as neighbors, which keeps chains going.

Can I turn the deck over again? No. You get one pass, so use the deck carefully.

Is every deal winnable? Yes. New deals come from a checked list, so a win exists.

What does the card beside the deck do? It is the card you play onto. Every move changes it, and so does every card you turn from the deck.

Three Peaks Solitaire