Crescent Solitaire is a free online two-deck patience game with a shape all its own. Eight foundations sit in the middle: one Ace and one King of each suit, the Ace piles building up to King and the King piles building down to Ace. Around them, 96 cards wait in 16 piles of six, arranged in a crescent, with only each pile's top card in play. Move cards between piles in the same suit, one rank up or down, to dig out what the foundations need — and when you run dry, spend one of your shuffles to send every pile's bottom card to its top. Ten levels, no download, no account.
How to play Crescent Solitaire
- Two decks are dealt. Eight foundations start in the middle — one Ace and one King of each suit — and the other 96 cards form 16 piles of six around them.
- The four Ace foundations build up in suit from Ace to King. The four King foundations build down in suit from King to Ace. There is no wrapping around between the two.
- Only the top card of each of the 16 piles is in play. Tap a pile and, if its card fits a foundation, it goes straight there.
- To dig deeper, move a top card onto another pile whose top card is the same suit and one rank higher or lower — one card at a time. Emptied piles stay empty and cannot be refilled.
- Out of moves? Spend a shuffle: every pile sends its bottom card to its top at once. You get three on the standard levels, so use them deliberately. Fill all eight foundations to win.
Tips
- Do not finish a foundation until you have to. While a suit's Ace pile and King pile are both unfinished, you can slide the top card of one onto the other, which is the main way to unstick a suit — completing one closes that door.
- Play the piles with the fewest cards left first when you have a choice. Emptying a pile removes nothing useful from the board, but a short pile is the one you can realistically exhaust.
- Before spending a shuffle, take every foundation card you can. The shuffle only moves each pile's bottom card to the top, so the more you have cleared beforehand, the more it actually changes.
- Watch for a pile whose top card is one rank from the card underneath a neighbouring pile's top — a single tableau move can open two new cards in a row.
- Tap a foundation to select it, and every pile that can feed it lights up. On a 16-pile board that is much faster than checking each top card by eye.
FAQ
Is Crescent Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Crescent Solitaire is completely free to play online with no download, no account, and no in-game purchases.
Does Crescent Solitaire work on mobile?
Yes. Because only each pile's top card is ever in play, every pile shows as a single card with a count badge rather than a fan, so all 24 piles stay readable and tappable on a phone screen.
How many decks does Crescent Solitaire use?
Two — 104 cards. Eight of them (one Ace and one King of each suit) start the foundations, and the remaining 96 are dealt into 16 piles of six.
How do the shuffles work?
A shuffle is not a re-deal. It takes the bottom card of every one of the 16 piles and moves it to the top of that same pile, all at once, which exposes 16 new cards without changing which pile anything is in. You get three on the standard levels — the first few levels give you more while you learn, and the last two give you fewer.
Can you move more than one card at a time?
No. Tableau moves are one card at a time, from the top of one pile onto the top of another of the same suit and one rank higher or lower. Ace does not connect to King in either direction.
Can you win every game of Crescent Solitaire?
No. With a fixed number of shuffles and no way to refill an empty pile, some deals genuinely dead-end. This version shows a "No moves left" banner with a New Deal button when that happens, rather than leaving you hunting for a move that is not there.