How to Play Saxony Solitaire

Saxony combines cells for maneuvering with reserve piles that you build on downward by suit. Eight Aces start on foundations, and the rest of the two-deck stock deals in a single pass.

Setup

1. Eight foundation piles are dealt one card each (all Aces) at the start.
2. Eight piles called the Tableau each start with one card; click the stock to deal one more card onto each of them (one pass only, no redeal), building up stacks where only the top card of each is face-up and playable.
3. Four cell piles provide temporary holding space for one card each, filled with four cards dealt at the start.
4. Four piles called the Reserve each start with one card dealt face-up; you build on them downward by one rank in the same suit.

How to play

• Only the top card of each Tableau pile or Reserve pile can be moved.
• Move cards from the Tableau piles to either the Reserve piles or the foundations—only the correct next card in a suit can go to a foundation.
• Build the four Reserve piles downward by one rank in the same suit (for example, put a 9 of spades on a 10 of spades).
• Use cells to temporarily store cards from the Tableau piles to free up access to needed cards.
• Empty cells can hold any card, and an empty Reserve pile can be filled with any card.
• Click the stock to deal one card onto each Tableau pile; only one pass through the stock is allowed.

How to win

Objective: Move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, building each suit from Ace to King.

You win when all eight foundation piles are built from Ace to King in each suit. You're stuck when no more cards can move after the stock is exhausted.

Tips

• Plan your Tableau pile plays carefully—you only get one pass through the stock.
• Use cells strategically to create access to buried Tableau cards.
• Build the Reserve piles gradually to maintain flexibility and avoid dead-ends.

Play Saxony free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Saxony alongside 300+ other games. It saves every move as you play, so you can close the window and pick the game up later, replay any deal, and take on a new Daily Challenge deal every day. Browse every game in the Game Gallery.

Related games

More games from the Forty Thieves family:

• Squadron — A streamlined Forty Thieves variant using two decks with three reserve cells to temporarily hold cards.
• Algiers — Algiers is a three-deck game with a reserve of 54 cards and two tableau areas.
• Carthage — A two-deck game combining reserve piles that feed cards into play with a separate tableau built in descending same-suit sequences.
• Mamy Susan — A two-deck Forty Thieves cousin with an extra five-card reserve pile on the side, giving you a second source of playable cards alongside the ten tableau piles.