How to Play Sea Towers Solitaire

Sea Towers solitaire is an intriguing variation on the ever-popular Free Cell solitaire. It has a similar layout, so it's easy to begin playing if you're already familiar with Free Cell. However, it has a few twists that make it harder to win. That makes it the perfect solitaire game for those times when you want an extra challenge in your entertainment.

Instructions

1. Form the main part of the board by dealing 10 columns of overlapping cards face up, with five cards in each column. This part of the board is called the "tableau." Only the bottom card in each column is available for play.

2. Place the remaining two cards face up, above the 10 columns. These are the first two cards of your four "cells," leaving you with two empty cells at the beginning of the game. Each cell can only hold one card at a time.

3. Move any Aces from the bottom of the tableau or from the cells to the side of the tableau or above it. These are the "foundations," which you'll build up by suit from Ace to King.

4. Build the columns of your tableau down by suit, using the bottom cards of other columns or any card in the cells. Building the tableau down by suit, rather than by alternating colors, is one of the main differences between Free Cell and Sea Towers. When cards are in sequence, you can move one more card at a time than you have empty cells. If, for example, you have two empty cells, you can move three cards that are in sequence to another column.

5. Fill empty tableau columns with Kings. No other card can move to an empty column. That also makes Sea Towers slightly harder than Free Cell.

6. Win the game by transferring all of the cards to the foundations, from Ace to King, by suit.

Tips & Warnings

• Use empty cells as a last resort, only when you can make no other moves.