Aces High

This is a very simple game, suitable for children or for those times when you need to turn your mind off and relax. Because of its tiny layout, it’s also a good game to play on your lap or on small trays during trips. Its name comes from the fact that Aces rank high, above Kings: this is normal in most card games but is unusual in solitaire, where Aces are usually the lowest rank. It is sometimes called Aces Up, or Idiot’s Delight.

Layout Size: Fits on any screen.

Difficulty: Aces High is an easy game to learn and play. But there is not much room for strategy, and wins are rare.

Rules: Shuffle the deck and hold it in your hand.There are four tableaus and a discard pile, all of which start out empty.

Deal four cards, face up, one onto each tableau pile. If two or more of those cards have the same suit, move the lower-ranked ones onto the discard. (See picture: Aces High. The 7H can be discarded because it is lower in rank than the JH.) When you can make no more moves, deal four more cards onto the tableaus, fanned down so that you can see the cards underneath.

Only the topmost card of each tableau is available. Continue to move cards to the discard if they match the suit of any higher-ranked available card. If a pile is emptied, you must fill it with an available card from another tableau before you can deal again.

Because Aces are high, they cannot be discarded. The goal is to complete the game with all other cards discarded, and the Aces laid out neatly, one in each tableau.

On the Screen: Solitaire Till Dawn will lay out the first four cards for you. Click the hand to deal four more cards, whenever you’re ready. The hand will be dark and you will be unable to deal if there is an empty tableau that could be filled by moving in a card from another tableau.