TriPeaks Solitaire

Peak Tide is a free TriPeaks solitaire game you can play in the browser in a few seconds. Three peaks of cards sit above a sunny sea. Tap a free card that is one rank higher or one rank lower than the waste card, and keep the run going for as long as you can. Every deal is checked by a solver, so every deal can be won, and the first one takes about a minute and a half.

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What is TriPeaks solitaire?

TriPeaks is one of the best-loved solitaire games. Instead of building columns as in Klondike, you clear a layout of 28 cards arranged as three peaks, or pyramids, that share a base row of ten. The cards at the top of each peak start face down. A card turns face up as soon as the two cards that cover it are gone.

The rest of the deck sits below the peaks as a stock pile, with one card turned over on the waste pile. That waste card is the card you match. You may take any face-up card from the peaks that is exactly one rank above or below it. Suit and color do not matter. The card you take becomes the new waste card, so one good move leads to the next. Many players know the game from computer solitaire collections, and it is also sold under names such as Tri Peaks and Three Peaks.

How to play Peak Tide

• Find a free card. A card is free when nothing covers it. At the start only the base row of ten is face up.
• Match one up or one down. Tap a free card one rank higher or lower than the waste card. On a 7 you can play a 6 or an 8. King and Ace connect, so an Ace can follow a King and a King can follow an Ace.
• Build a run. Each card you play becomes the waste card. A run counter shows how many cards you have played in a row, and every five in a row earns a little starfish and shell burst.
• Draw when you are stuck. Tap the stock to turn over a new waste card. The run ends and a new one starts from that card.
• Clear the peaks. Remove all 28 cards to win the deal. If the stock is empty and nothing fits, the deal is over, but you can undo or try again.

Every deal can be won

In classic TriPeaks with a random shuffle, some deals cannot be cleared however well you play. Peak Tide is different: each deal is built and then played through by a solver before you see it. If the solver cannot clear it, the deal is thrown away. A winning line always exists, so when you get stuck it is a puzzle to think through, not bad luck.

The first deals are gentle. Deal 1 can be cleared in one long run without drawing a single card, and a calm pace is about a minute and a half. Deals 2 and 3 add a few breaks where you need the stock. From deal 4 more of the cards you need are hidden higher in the peaks, and from deal 8 you need to plan several moves ahead and spend the stock carefully.

Scoring and stars

Each card you play scores 25 points times the length of the current run, so the fifth card in a run is worth five times the first. When you clear the peaks, every card still left in the stock adds 100 points and your longest run adds a bonus too.

Stars look at two things. Three stars means you finished with at least six cards in the stock and a run of five or more. Two stars needs three cards left in the stock or a run of five. Any clear earns at least one star. The Daily deal is the same for every player that day, and you can share your result with friends.

Tips for longer runs

• Look before you tap. On a 7, the 8 is not always the best card. If there are a 6 and a 5 free, going down may let you play three cards instead of one.
• Turn cards over first. When two cards fit, take the one that uncovers a face-down card. A card in the base row that frees nothing can wait.
• Use the wrap. King and Ace connect, so a run of Q, K, A, 2 is legal and often clears a whole corner.
• Save the stock. Every card you do not draw is worth 100 points at the end and counts toward your stars.
• Keep all three peaks moving. A peak you ignore keeps its face-down cards hidden. Open each one early, while you still have stock to recover.
• Pause for a hint. If you stop for a few seconds, Peak Tide highlights a good move or nudges the stock when drawing is best.

Undo, +5 and the Wild card

Undo is unlimited, so you can take back a move that broke a run. Each deal also has two helpers you can use once. +5 puts five cards from the waste back into the stock when you run out. Wild lets you play any one face-up card, whatever its rank, which is often enough to finish the last few cards. If no move is left, a panel offers +5, Wild, Undo or a fresh try of the same deal.

Large, clear cards for phones

Peak Tide is made for a phone held in one hand. The cards use big ranks and suit symbols in the top-left corner, so even the tightly packed base row of ten stays easy to read. On a computer the cards grow larger and sit side by side with more room. There is nothing to install and no account. Your deal in progress, your level, your best score and your sound setting are saved on your device, so you can close the tab and come back later. Soft ocean waves play in the background until you mute them.

Frequently asked questions

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• Card & Tile Games
• Solitaire with Large Cards
• Winnable Solitaire Deals
• Tile Match Game
• Play Peak Tide online