Crescent

How to play Crescent

Crescent uses two decks. One Ace and one King of each suit start the eight foundations in the middle. The other ninety-six cards sit in sixteen piles of six around them. Build the Ace piles up in suit to King, and the King piles down in suit to Ace. On the crescent, the top card of a pile may move onto another top card of the same suit one rank away — up or down. Ace and King wrap.

Empty piles stay empty. When the board stalls, Redeal rotates each pile so the buried card comes to the top. You get three redeals. Undo is unlimited.

Strategy tips

• Send a card to a foundation when it does not also serve as a landing spot for its twin on the other foundation of that suit.
• Keep both directions open on a suit. A Hearts pile that only builds down can trap the Ace-up run of the same suit.
• Do not empty a pile for its own sake. The space never comes back, and the cards under the top one still need a home.
• Hold a redeal until several piles are stuck. One rotation that frees four tops beats three rotations that free one each.

Crescent vs. other two-deck games

Crescent is a layout puzzle more than a draw puzzle: there is no stock. If you want a two-deck game with a stock and stricter building, try Forty Thieves. For a single-deck cousin with the same lift-anything feel, Yukon is the closer relative.

Frequently asked questions

How do you win Crescent Solitaire?

Move all 104 cards onto the eight foundations. Four piles start with an Ace and build up in suit to King. Four start with a King and build down in suit to Ace. The sixteen tableau piles around them supply the cards.

Can I build both up and down on the tableau?

Yes. The top card of a pile may sit on another top card of the same suit one rank higher or one rank lower. Ace and King wrap, so an Ace of hearts plays on the King of hearts and the other way around.

What happens when a pile is empty?

It stays empty. Crescent does not refill spaces. That is why you wait to empty a pile until the cards under the top one have a home.

What does Redeal do?

Each redeal moves the bottom card of every pile to the top, without changing the order of the cards in between. You get three redeals per deal. Use one when the board is stuck, not the moment the first easy line dries up.

Do I need an account to save my stats?

No. Games played, win rate, streaks and best times are stored in your browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to sign up for.