Seahaven Towers

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Setup
3. Playing
4. Winning
5. Strategy tips

Overview

Seahaven Towers is a renowned open-information patience card game for one player. Popularised by Art Cabral's 1988 computer implementation, it is closely related to FreeCell and Eight Off, but offers a sharper and more demanding puzzle.

Every card is visible right from the deal. However, building in the tableau must be strictly down in the same suit, and cleared columns may only be claimed by Kings. While demanding, the game rewards deep calculation: around 85% of all deals can be won with precise play.

• Players: 1
• You need: one standard 52-card deck without jokers.

Setup

1. Foundations (top right): Leave room for four foundation piles, one for each suit. They start empty and are built up in suit from Ace to King.
2. Towers (top left): Four reserve cells (the "towers"), each able to hold a single card.
3. The tableau: Deal 50 cards face up in ten columns of five cards each, overlapping downwards so every card can be seen.
4. Initial towers: Place the remaining two cards face up into two of the towers, leaving the other two towers empty.

Playing

Only the bottom (fully uncovered) card of each tableau column and any card currently resting in a tower is free to move.

1. Foundations

Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King:

• An Ace moves to an empty foundation space as soon as it is freed.
• Subsequent cards of that suit must follow in ascending order: 2, 3, 4, up to King.
• Cards moved to foundations cannot be taken back into the tableau or towers.

2. Tableau building

Within the tableau, cards build strictly down in the same suit:

• A free card can only be placed on an exposed column card that is of the same suit and exactly one rank higher (for example, the 7♠ may only be played onto the 8♠; the 10♥ only onto the J♥).
• Unlike FreeCell, cards never pack in alternating colours.

3. The towers (reserve cells)

The four towers serve as temporary holding spots:

• Any free card from a column (or another tower) may be moved into an empty tower.
• Each tower can hold only one card at a time.
• A card in a tower can be played to an open foundation, to a valid card in the tableau, or to an empty column (if it is a King).

4. Empty columns

When a column is completely cleared:

• Only a King (or a descending in-suit sequence headed by a King) may be placed into an empty column space.
• No other card may ever enter an empty column.

5. Moving sequences

A built sequence of cards in descending suit order (such as 9♣–8♣–7♣) may be moved as a single unit onto a valid card (10♣) or into an empty column (if headed by a King), provided you have enough free spaces to move them individually.

With k empty towers available, you can move a sequence of up to k + 1 cards at once. If you also have an empty tableau column that is not the destination, the number of cards you can move doubles.

Winning

You win the game when all 52 cards have been transferred to the four foundations, completing all four suits from Ace to King.

Strategy tips

• Uncover the Aces early: Foundation play starts with the Aces and Twos. Freeing them early clears space and relieves pressure on the towers.
• Empty columns are precious: Because only Kings can fill empty columns, do not clear a column unless you have a King ready to occupy it. An empty column with no King is wasted potential.
• Protect the towers: With only four towers (two of which start occupied), free parking disappears fast. Always plan an exit route before placing a card into a tower.
• Look for natural runs: Try to consolidate split suits within the tableau before using towers. Five-card columns mean cards are rarely buried deeply.