Calculation
An ace, a two, a three and a four start four foundations that count up by ones, twos, threes and fours, whatever the suit. Turn the stock one card at a time and play each card to a foundation or onto one of four waste piles. Plan the piles well and all 52 cards come home.
How to play Calculation
How to play
The first foundation counts by ones (A, 2, 3 … K), the second by twos (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Q, A, 3 …), the third by threes and the fourth by fours, going round past the king; all four end on a king. Suits play no part. The label under each foundation shows the rank it needs next. The turned card must go to a foundation that needs it or onto any of the four waste piles. The top card of a waste pile can go to a foundation, never to another pile. There is no redeal.
Moving cards
Drag a card, or tap it and then tap where it should go; double-tap sends it to a foundation that needs it. With the keyboard, use the arrows and Enter. Undo takes back a play from a waste pile, but a card from the stock stays where you put it, because the next card is already showing.
Tips
Try to keep each waste pile in order: put a card only on a card that is needed later, so the piles unwind from the top. Kings come last on every foundation, so many players give the kings a pile of their own. Before you bury a card, check how soon each foundation will need it.
Levels
Classic shows only the turned card and has the daily deal. Peek also shows the next card of the stock, so you can plan one card ahead. Every deal on both levels was played to a win by a solver first.
Questions
How do you play Calculation solitaire?
Calculation, also called Broken Intervals, starts four foundations with an ace, a 2, a 3 and a 4. They build up by ones, twos, threes and fours regardless of suit, wrapping past the king. Each turned card goes to a foundation or one of four waste piles; win by building all four up to their kings.
What order does each foundation follow?
By ones: A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K. By twos: 2 4 6 8 10 Q A 3 5 7 9 J K. By threes: 3 6 9 Q 2 5 8 J A 4 7 10 K. By fours: 4 8 Q 3 7 J 2 6 10 A 5 9 K. The label under each foundation always shows the next rank.
Can every game of Calculation be won?
Not every one, but most can with good play. Our solver, which knows the order of the stock, wins nearly nine in ten random deals; a player who sees one card at a time needs skill and some luck. Every deal here, on both levels and in the daily, was first won by the solver.
Why can’t I undo a card from the stock?
Once a stock card is placed the next card is face up, so taking the move back would let you choose knowing what comes next. Undo still takes back plays from the waste piles to the foundations.
What does the hint do?
The hint only uses what you can see: the turned card, the waste piles and the foundations. It plays a card a foundation needs now, or picks the waste pile that keeps the piles in order, and says why.