Pyramid Solitaire is arithmetic dressed up as a card game: find two uncovered cards that add up to 13, remove them, and repeat until the pyramid is gone. One 52-card deck does it all. Twenty-eight cards form seven overlapping rows with a single card at the peak, and the other 24 wait in the stock. Press Play now above to deal a solo game right on this page, no account needed. A free account adds races against a bot or a live opponent, both of you on the same deal.
Mobile gameplay: Pyramid Solitaire
See the game board, controls and moves on a mobile screen.
How to play
- Remove two uncovered cards whose values add to 13. Ace is 1, Jack 11, Queen 12 and King 13.
- A King is removed alone. Every other card needs a partner. Tap two cards or drag one onto its partner.
- Both cards must be uncovered: a card is blocked until the two positions immediately below it are empty. Empty spaces stay empty.
- Turn one card at a time from the stock to the waste. The top card of the stock is face up, and both it and the top waste card are available: pair them with each other or with an uncovered pyramid card. You may pass through the stock three times in total.
- Win by removing all 28 pyramid cards; the stock does not need to be empty. In a race, clearing the pyramid wins immediately; otherwise fewer pyramid cards remaining means more progress.
Example
A Queen and an Ace make 13; so do a Nine and a Four. A King needs no partner at all, just one tap. Now the classic trap: an Ace resting on a Queen. The numbers match perfectly, but the Queen stays covered until that Ace is gone, so those two can never leave together.
Playing tip
When two pairs are on offer, take the one that uncovers more. Removing two pyramid cards often opens more of the pyramid than spending the waste card, but not always: sometimes the only partner for the card that blocks a whole row is sitting on the waste.
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Frequently asked questions
Which cards can I pair in Pyramid Solitaire?
The pairs that make 13 are Ace–Queen, 2–Jack, 3–10, 4–9, 5–8 and 6–7. A King is worth 13 by itself and leaves alone. Both cards must be free: a pyramid card is out of reach while anything covers it. The top stock card and the top waste card are free too, and may even pair with each other. Clear the pyramid and you win, even with cards left in the stock.
Is every shuffle winnable?
No. Played by the strictest rules, Pyramid comes out in only about 1 deal in 50. This version uses a gentler finish, where only the 28 pyramid cards have to go, but a random shuffle still promises nothing. If a deal jams, start another, or replay the same one in a different order.
Can I undo and earn progress?
Undo works in solo practice. Live races check every move on the server and have no undo. Completed games count towards the shared XP, LP and leaderboard system when you play with a free account; as a guest, results are not saved.