Aces Up
The classic patience: deal four cards at a time, throw away any card that is lower than another showing card of its suit, and try to finish with only the four aces. Empty columns are precious. 18 deals, each one winnable.
Play nowHow to play
Controls
TapDrag- Only the top card of each column counts.
- If two top cards share a suit, tap the lower one to throw it away; cards you can throw glow green (aces are high).
- When a column is empty, tap a top card from a column with more than one card to move it there, or drag it to the empty column you want.
- When nothing else works, tap the deck to deal one card onto each column.
- Undo is free, but 3 stars need a win with 3 undos or fewer.
- 8 or fewer cards left passes; only the four aces left is a full win.
About the game
Aces Up is one of the oldest and simplest patience games, sometimes called Idiot's Delight because the rules fit on a napkin and the deals still beat you. Four columns sit side by side and only the top card of each one matters. Whenever two top cards share a suit, the lower one can be thrown away. When you run out of throws, you deal four more cards, one onto each column, and the hunt starts again. The goal is to end with the four aces alone, one at the bottom of each column.
The real game is in the empty columns. A column empties only rarely, and any top card can move into it, which lifts that card off whatever it was burying. Use the space on the wrong card and a king sits on top of the two you needed for the rest of the deal. This version keeps the rules pure but takes the eye strain away: every card you can throw glows, a card that can move is outlined in gold, and undo is always there. Each of the eighteen deals was checked with a full search to make sure the four aces can be reached, and they are ordered by how far a simple, always-throw player gets, so early deals forgive you and late deals need a plan.
Free to play in your browser. No download, no sign-up. Works on phones, tablets and computers. Your progress is saved on this device.
