How to Play Somerset Solitaire

A Klondike variant that trades the stock and waste piles for a larger tableau. All cards are visible from the start, making this a pure strategy game with no hidden information.

Setup

1. Four foundation piles start empty (will build up from Ace to King by suit)
2. Ten tableau piles receive cards face up: the first pile gets 1 card, the second 2, and so on up through 8 cards in the eighth pile; the ninth and tenth piles also get 8 cards each, using up all 52 cards

How to play

• Move cards to the foundations by building sequences from Ace up through King in the same suit. Cards move to the foundations automatically once no other card could be built on them (you can change this in Settings to always send cards automatically or turn it off)
• In the tableau, build downward in alternating colors (e.g., a red 6 onto a black 7). Only the top card of each pile can be moved
• Any card can fill an empty tableau pile
• Since there is no stock or waste, plan carefully—you cannot access buried cards unless you move the cards above them

How to win

Objective: Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles

You win when all four foundation piles are complete (Ace through King in each suit). The game is lost if you get stuck with cards you cannot move to foundations or build in the tableau.

Tips

• Play conservatively—with all cards visible and no redeal, every move shapes your final outcome
• Create empty tableau piles early to give yourself maneuvering room
• Look ahead several moves to avoid trapping cards under immovable sequences

Play Somerset free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Somerset 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 Klondike family:

• Thoughtful — A see-everything take on Klondike: every card starts dealt face up in the tableau, so there's nothing hidden to plan around.
• Titan — A challenging two-deck variant where eight tableau piles start with three face-up cards each.
• Triple Triangle — This three-deck variant challenges you to build foundations by moving cards from a large triangular tableau.
• Whitehead — This tableau is dealt entirely face up, so you can see every card before you begin.
• Willow — This Klondike-style layout adds four fan piles on the side, each stacking cards of one matching rank.