How to Play Corona Solitaire
Corona Solitaire is a version of Limited Solitaire, but when tableau columns are emptied, the most recently drawn card from the stock pile fills the column. Both games are a variation of Forty Thieves.
Objective
The goal is to move and organize all cards from the stock pile and tableau into 8 foundation piles by suit in ascending order.
The Setup and Play Area
Tableau: This is the area where cards are placed face-up in 12 columns of 3 face-up cards each, totaling 36 cards.
Stock pile: The remaining cards, or a total of 68 cards, are face-down in the stock pile. Cards are dealt one at a time, and you can only go through the stock pile once.
Waste pile: Cards drawn from the stock pile that cannot be placed in the tableau go to the waste pile.
Foundation piles: These are the 8 piles at the top of the game where cards are placed by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.
Available moves
- Only Aces can start in the foundation, and subsequent cards must be in ascending order by suit. For example, only a 2 of Hearts can be played on an Ace of Hearts.
- Only the last card in the tableau column is playable, and it can either be moved to the foundation or on top of another card of the same suit, one rank higher. An 8 of Diamonds, for example, can be moved on top of a 9 of Diamonds.
- Unlike Klondike, you cannot move a group of sequenced cards in the tableau.
- Cards from the stock pile are dealt into the waste pile. The top cards of the waste pile can be moved to the foundation or the tableau.
- If a tableau column is empty, the top card of the waste pile is placed there. If there are no more cards in the waste pile, then any card from the tableau can be placed in an empty column.
- You win when all cards are placed in the 8 foundations. If you can't successfully do this, you lose.
Strategy
- Create empty columns to move cards and unblock others.
- If you have an empty column and have placed all the stock cards in the tableau, try to place cards of higher ranks there to help you create longer sequences in that column.
- Immediately move Aces to the foundation.
- The first visible sequence may not always be the best one. Plan out your moves to remove as many cards as possible from the tableau.
- Because foundations are built from Ace to King, try to make low cards available so you can move them out of the tableau into the foundation.
- Try to build the foundations evenly. If one foundation is built immediately in the game, you now have fewer cards of that color to help you sequence.
- If you get stuck, use the undo button. You may not always make the right moves, and you may need to reverse some to win the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are similar games?
Limited Solitaire, Josephine Solitaire, Squadron, Sixty Thieves, Forty Thieves, and Thieves of Egypt all have similar rules.
What is the probability of winning Corona Solitaire?
We looked at 1,931 random games played. Of those, 758 were won, or 39.25%. This makes the game easier than Forty Thieves, which has a win rate of 3.69%. Even though stock cards are automatically placed in empty tableau columns, the game is easier because you have 12 columns, which gives you 2 more opportunities to place cards dealt from the stock pile.
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