How to Play TriPeaks Solitaire—Your Roller-Coaster Card Ride
If Klondike is yoga and FreeCell is chess, TriPeaks is pinball: bright, bouncy, and ridiculously fun once you catch the rhythm. You’ll clear three little mountains of cards, chain crazy runs, and watch points explode— all in under three minutes if you get good. Ready? Let’s buckle in.
1. Quick-Draw Setup
Shuffle a standard 52-card deck.
Build three adjacent peaks:
Row 1 = 3 face-down cards, Row 2 = 2 face-down on each peak, Row 3 = 1 face-down on each, then top it with 3 single face-up cards (one per peak).
Total pyramid area = 28 cards (same head-count as Pyramid).
Place the remaining 24 cards face-down as your draw pile.
Flip one card from the draw pile face-up to start a waste pile—that’s your “active card.”
Digital versions do the layout for you, but it helps to picture the three peaks before you start tapping.
2. The 5-Second Objective
Clear every peak card by playing a card one rank higher or lower than the current waste-pile top—suit and color don’t matter. Kings wrap to Aces and vice-versa (K → A → 2 or reverse).
3. Flow of a Turn
Spot an exposed card (no card overlapping it) that’s exactly one rank up or down from the waste top.
Tap (or move) it onto the waste pile; that card becomes the new active rank.
Keep chaining as long as possible—this builds your score multiplier.
Stuck? Flip the next draw-pile card onto the waste and start a fresh run.
Continue until:
Every peak card is gone → instant win!
The draw pile empties and you’re out of moves → reshuffle (if house rules allow) or call it a loss.
Classic TriPeaks = one pass through the draw pile. Some apps offer two passes or wild cards—nice training wheels if you’re learning.
4. Scoring & Combos (Why Runs Matter)
Each card in a run racks up points; the longer the chain, the bigger each next card scores.
Finishing a peak grants bonus points—knock all three and you’ll see fireworks.
The real juice is in combo chaining: clear seven, eight, nine cards without drawing and watch your score skyrocket.
TL;DR: Speed + Long Runs = High Scores.
5. Rookie Pitfalls (That You’ll Now Avoid)
Breaking a potential run too early. Scan the peaks before drawing; maybe a Queen then Jack then 10 is hiding in plain sight.
Ignoring wrap-arounds. A King can leap to an Ace, and an Ace can jump to a King. People forget this and stall.
Flipping the draw pile in frustration. Slow down; one wasted flip can kill a record chain.
Leaving tiny single-card peaks. Clear top cards evenly across peaks to avoid stranded blockers.
6. Strategy Nuggets to Level Up
Think two ranks ahead. If the waste is a 7 and both 6 & 8 are exposed, peek what sits under each—pick the route that opens more cards.
Chase the longest visible ladder. An 8-7-6-5-4 feels amazing and preserves draw cards for later emergencies.
Clear peaks symmetrically. Dropping one side card can unlock two under-cards on that same mountain—value for money!
Use undos (in apps) as rehearsal. Probe which chain collapses more coverage, then commit.
7. Average Game Length & Difficulty Feel
Learning stage: 4-6 minutes per deal.
Comfortable flow: 2-3 minutes.
Combo hunters: under 90 seconds.
Difficulty? Low on rules, high on quick decisions. Great filler between deeper solitaire sessions.
8. Fun Variations & Power-Ups
TriPeaks Rush – race the clock; every good run adds seconds.
Wild-card mode – occasional jokers act as any rank (massive combos).
Multi-pass house rule – allow one redeal of the draw pile for a longer, more forgiving game.
9. Who TriPeaks Is Perfect For
Players who love speed and momentum.
Anyone with short windows—train stops, waiting rooms.
Score chasers who dig leaderboard bragging rights.
Kids learning rank order (easy, fun number lesson).
Your Turn: Crush Those Peaks
Boot up TriPeaks in any solitaire app, or lay out three little mountains IRL and start linking ranks in rapid-fire chains. Pro tip: breathe—fast doesn’t mean frantic.
When you crave a slower, story-rich card session, swap over to Solitaire Home Story for cozy Klondike levels, guaranteed wins, and interior-design feels.
Now go ride that combo coaster—happy climbing!