Pyramid Solitaire Ancient Egypt

Pyramid Solitaire Rules

Table of contents

• Goal
• Layout & deal
• Allowable moves
• Scoring
• Strategy
• History

Goal

The objective in Pyramid Solitaire is to remove all cards in the pyramid by pairing cards that add up to 13.

Layout & deal

First, 28 cards are dealt face-up in the shape of a pyramid, with the cards partially overlapping. The remaining cards are put face-down in the stock.

Allowable moves

• Pair cards that add up to 13. Pairing is done by first clicking on the first card and then on the second card. Only cards that are open, i.e. don’t have another card on top of them, can be paired. It doesn’t matter where the cards are, you can pair cards that are in the pyramid, in the waste or in the temporary card storage.
• Aces count as 1, Jacks as 11 and Queens as 12. The valid pairs are: Ace & Queen, Two & Jack, Three & Ten, Four & Nine, Five & Eight, Four and Nine.
• Kings count as 13 and can be removed by simply clicking on them.
• Flip the stock to reveal 3 additional cards which will be added to the 3 waste piles. Note that resetting the stock is not possible. You can only loop through it once.
• Move an open card from the pyramid or the waste to the temporary card storage in the bottom left.
• Undo a move by clicking the undo button in the bottom right corner. Note that you can only go back one move.

If you are still unsure about which moves are allowed, follow the in-game tutorial.

Scoring

Pyramid Solitaire Ancient Egypt has several scoring rules which reward quick play and good strategy. Complete different rounds after each other to improve your score.

• Removal of a pair of cards or a King: 500 points
• Completion of a round: 10,000 points
• (Bonus) Removal of all cards, so not only the pyramid but also the cards in the stock & waste: 15,000 points
• (Bonus) Time bonus shown in the top left corner: counts down from 20,000 points to 0 while playing
• (Bonus) Incremental round number bonus: round number * 1,000 points

Note that using the undo button does not impact your score.

Strategy

• Remove Kings immediately: Always remove the Kings immediately. There is no reason to keep them in the pyramid or waste piles and removing them will earn you 500 points.
• Plan ahead: Look at the pyramid before starting to play and identify which cards are blocking other cards.
• Play cards in the middle of the pyramid: If you can choose, it can be beneficial to play cards in the middle of the pyramid because they cover 2 other cards, while cards at the edges of the pyramid only cover 1 other card.
• Keep the pyramid balanced: If you have the choice, remove cards from the pyramid so that its both sides remain balanced in terms of height.
• Avoid pairing 2 cards in the waste piles: Pairing 2 cards which are in the waste piles does not really help you progress towards clearing the pyramid, except in some cases.
• Use your memory: Try to remember which cards have already been played, so you know whether the card you need is still in the stock or not.
• Use the temporary card storage: Make sure to use the temporary card storage, as it will allow you to reach cards which can otherwise not be reached. The temporary card storage acts like a cell in FreeCell, so it can only hold one card at a time. Keep this in mind and use the temporary card storage strategically.
• Use the undo button: Feel free to use the undo button if you are not happy with your move or if you want to have a look at which cards will be dealt from the stock. Note that using the undo button does not impact your score.

History

There is no factual information about when Pyramid Solitaire was first invented, but it might have been as early as the 18th century. The game gained in popularity by being included in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack in 1990, although under a different name (Tut’s Tomb). This name was a reference to the tomb of the famous Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Just Have Fun!