Staircase

Staircase has a special trick, because it consists of two different phases that you should memorize well.

# Layout

Fifteen cards are laid out left-aligned in the form of a staircase – but not overlapping (see graphic). So in the first horizontal row you start with one card and end in the 5th row with five cards.

# Objective

In Staircase, as in many other patience games, the goal is ascending same-suit building on the foundation cards. But here you choose the foundation cards yourself.

# Gameplay

As already mentioned, Staircase consists of two phases. Phase 1 begins with the selection of foundation cards. You select two or more cards with the same value from the tableau and place them as foundation cards on the right – the others follow during the game. If subsequent cards, i.e. ascending cards in the same suit, are in the tableau, they are also played up immediately. The more cards you can use at the beginning, the better. The gaps are then filled again with cards from the stock. Now look again for missing foundation cards and subsequent cards. These may be played up again. This continues until you can no longer use the 15 cards in the card game. Then Phase 2 begins.

Phase 2 has different rules. Now cards may no longer be removed from the tableau so easily. Now only the right card of a horizontal row is eligible to play. You can now move cards completely without suit constraint in descending order. So for example, a 8 could also be placed on a 9. Flutes may only be moved if they are in the same suit. If you have cleared an empty row, a card from the stock or cards from the tableau may be placed there so you can sort better.

If nothing is possible anymore, cards are turned over one by one from the stock and placed face-up overlapping below the staircase. Only the card that can be seen completely may be used. You must succeed in resolving this row, because the stock may only be gone through once.

# Summary

• Lay out 15 cards in the form of a staircase, first row 1 card to 5th row 5 cards
• Find two or more foundation cards and subsequent cards
• Fill gaps with cards from the stock, play up subsequent cards again
• If nothing is possible anymore, Phase 2 begins: move cards without suit constraint in the horizontal rows
• Flutes may only be moved in the same suit
• Empty rows can be filled with any card from the tableau or from the stock
• If nothing works, place cards from the stock overlapping in a row below the staircase, which must be resolved from the top
• The stock may only be gone through once
• Objective: ascending same-suit build on the foundation cards