How to Play Selective Castle Solitaire

Selective Castle is based on Beleaguered Castle but adds an interesting twist: the base rank for the foundations is chosen randomly each game and revealed by whichever card is dealt to the first foundation. The goal: Move all 52 cards to the four foundations by building upward in suit from the randomly chosen base rank.

Setup

1. Four foundation piles each start with one card already dealt onto them; that card's rank is chosen at random each game and becomes the base rank for all four foundations.
2. Eight tableau piles contain all remaining cards, dealt face-up across the piles.

How to play

• The base rank is set automatically by the deal: whichever rank lands on the first foundation becomes the starting rank for all four foundations (for example, if it's a Jack, every foundation starts with a Jack).
• Build on the foundations upward in suit, with ranks wrapping around (King continues to Ace, and so on). Eligible cards move automatically whenever no other card can be built on them (you can adjust this behavior in Settings).
• On the tableau, build downward by any suit; you can play a 4 of any suit on a 5 of any suit.
• Only the top card of each pile can move.
• Empty tableau piles can be filled with any card.

How to win

Objective: Move all 52 cards to the four foundations by building upward in suit from the randomly chosen base rank.

You win when all cards are in the foundations. You're stuck when no more moves are available.

Tips

• Check the base rank shown on the foundations at the start of each deal, since your whole strategy for that game depends on it.
• Use empty tableau piles to maneuver cards and expose buried cards.
• Build downward on the tableau regardless of suit to create playable sequences.

Play Selective Castle free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Selective Castle 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 Beleaguered Castle family:

• Castle's End — A flexible game where the foundation base rank changes each deal, and tableau cards can build either up or down in the same suit, creating unique strategic puzzles.
• Chessboard — A Fortress variant where a random base rank sets the foundations each deal.
• Castle of Indolence — A two-deck game that combines an open tableau with hidden reserve cards, requiring strategic decisions about which cards to expose and when.