TriPeaks Solitaire is a game of chains: play a card one rank above or below the last one, then keep going for as long as the peaks allow. Robert Hogue created it in 1989, and it is also known as Three Peaks. One 52-card deck makes three overlapping peaks of 28 tableau cards, one starting waste card and 23 stock cards, and only the bottom row begins face up. Press Play now above to deal a solo game right here, no account needed. With a free account you can also race a bot or another player over the same deal.
Mobile gameplay: TriPeaks Solitaire
See the game board, controls and moves on a mobile screen.
How to play
- Choose an uncovered tableau card one rank higher or lower than the top waste card. Suits and colours do not matter.
- An Ace connects to a King or a Two. For example, King–Ace–Two is a legal chain in this version.
- Tap a playable card to send it to the waste, or drag it onto the waste. Covered cards cannot be played.
- A hidden card turns face up once both cards immediately below it have been removed. Draw one stock card whenever you want a new waste card.
- There is one pass through the stock, without recycling. Clear all 28 tableau cards to win. If stock and legal moves run out, the deal is over; in a race, progress is compared when both boards stop or time expires.
Example
A Seven sits on the waste. Play a Six or an Eight, your pick, and the chain is under way: a Five can follow the Six, then perhaps a Four. Each card you lift can help free a hidden card, and that card may turn out to be exactly the link you need next.
Playing tip
When two cards both fit, look one move further before you choose. A short chain that opens up a peak can be worth more than a long one that leaves every hidden card where it was, because the hidden cards are what you will need when the chain runs dry.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I start free TriPeaks Solitaire?
Press Play now at the top of this page and a solo game opens right here, with no download and no account. For online races, sign in to a free account. Those matches use the virtual entry coins shown in the lobby, and starter coins and a free daily reward are available.
Can I go backwards through a TriPeaks sequence?
Yes, and it is often how a long chain survives. With a 7 on the waste you may play a free 6 or 8, then turn around on the very next card: 7–6–5–6–7 is a legal chain as long as each card you pick is uncovered. This version gives you one pass through the stock, so squeeze every link out of the table before you draw.
Can I recycle the stock?
No. You get one pass through the stock, and once it is empty it stays empty. Kings and Aces do link up, though, so a chain can run Queen–King–Ace–Two. The rules are the same in solo play and in online races.
Is a solution guaranteed?
No. Robert Hogue, who created the game, found in a computer analysis of his original version that over 90% of deals are solvable, but finding the way is another matter when most of the cards start face down. Random deals can still be blocked. Solo practice lets you undo, replay the same deal or start a new one. Live opponents receive the same cards, and completed matches use XP, LP and separate leaderboards.