Baker's Dozen family
Castles in Spain Solitaire
Castles in Spain is a one-deck patience game related to Baker's Dozen. The deal starts as thirteen packets of four cards, but this variant is less rigid: empty spaces can be reused, tableau builds must alternate color, and valid descending sequences can move together.
How to Play
Begin by checking the exposed card on each packet. Move aces to the foundations as soon as they are available, then use alternating-color tableau moves to uncover buried cards. Unlike Baker's Dozen, kings stay where they are dealt and cleared spaces can take any legal card or sequence.
- Deal one standard deck into 13 tableau packets of 4 cards.
- Only the top card of each packet is face-up at the start. When that card moves away, the next card beneath it turns face-up.
- Build the four foundations upward by suit from ace to king.
- Build tableau cards downward in alternating colors, such as a red 9 on a black 10.
- Move a single card, or move a whole or partial visible sequence when the sequence already follows the alternating-color descending rule.
- Fill an empty tableau space with any card or valid visible sequence.
Objective
Win by moving all 52 cards to the four foundations. Each foundation starts with an ace and builds upward by suit through king. Because there is no stock and no redeal, every decision is made from the tableau.
Rules
Wikipedia lists Castles in Spain as a Baker's Dozen variant with six defining differences: a castle-like layout, no king repositioning at the deal, only exposed packet cards face-up at first, alternating-color descending tableau builds, transferable sequences, and reusable empty spaces.
| Deck | One standard 52-card deck |
|---|---|
| Tableau | 13 packets of 4 cards; only packet tops exposed at first |
| Foundations | Build up by suit from ace to king |
| Tableau builds | Build down by rank in alternating colors |
| Empty spaces | May be filled by any card or valid sequence |
| Redeals | None |
Strategy
- Free aces and low cards first, because foundations cannot begin without them.
- Use empty spaces as working room. A cleared packet is valuable because it can hold any card or valid sequence.
- Do not bury a newly exposed low card under a long sequence unless it creates an immediate foundation path.
- Build alternating-color runs that can move as a group, but keep an eye on whether the bottom card of the run has a useful destination.
Difficulty and Win Odds
Wikipedia lists Baker's Dozen at roughly 1 win in 2. Castles in Spain is usually more flexible than standard Baker's Dozen because it allows empty spaces and sequence movement, while the hidden packet cards add some uncertainty. Treat it as an approachable open-builder style game rather than a guaranteed solve.
Related Games
- Baker's Dozen is the stricter parent game with all cards visible and no refilling empty columns.
- Good Measure starts two aces on the foundations and keeps the Baker's Dozen family shape.
- Freecell is another one-deck planning game with reusable spaces and no stock.