Four Kingdoms

One-Deck game type. 1 deck. No redeal.

Object

Move all cards to the different foundations.

Rules

Cards are dealt to seven piles of four cards each, with only the top card of each pile face-up. These are the free lands, and may be built up by same suit. Any valid sequence can be moved, and any card or sequence can be played in an empty space.

Above the free lands are multiple columns of foundations/reserves, which accept different cards according depending on which other piles have been played to. There is one row of these piles for each suit. From left to right, these are:

• Dungeon - Aces represent dragons - no card can be played on an ace, as such, an ace will essentially block its pile until it can be "banished" to a dungeon. The ace can only be moved to the dungeon if the king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit are played in the tower/castle for that suit, appropriately.
• Tower - Tens represent wizards - the ten of each suit can be played to the appropriate tower at any time.
• Guest Chamber - The guest chamber acts as a free cell for each suit. Any single card other than the ace of that suit can be temporarily played to the guest chamber, until it can be moved to a space in the free lands or another foundation later. It can only be used if the king and queen of the same suit are played to the castle.
• Castle - The castle is a series of three foundations for each suit, and the king, queen, and jack can be played to them, in that order.
• Subjects - The remaining cards are played to the subjects foundation, built down by same suit from nine through two. Cards can only be moved to the subjects foundation once the king, queen, and jack of the same suit have all been played to the castle.

Cards can be dealt from the talon one at a time, and moved to an appropriate pile in the free lands, or any of the aforementioned foundation/reserve piles. No redeal is allowed.

The game is won if all cards can be moved to their appropriate foundations, thus uniting the four kingdoms.

Notes

Four Kingdoms was invented by David Bernazzani. It was designed to try and reclaim some of the original historical feel for the cards.

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General rules

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