How to Play

Seahaven Towers is a FreeCell-family open-information patience with 10 tableau columns, 4 free cells, same-suit tableau building, and Kings-only empty-column placement.

Seahaven Towers is a FreeCell-family open-information patience designed by Art Cabral in the 1980s for early Macintosh solitaire collections. The full deck is dealt face up into 10 tableau columns of 5 cards each (50 cards), with the remaining 2 cards placed face up in two of the four free cells. The four foundations build up in suit from Ace to King; the tableau builds down by suit (not by alternating colour as in FreeCell), and only a King (or a same-suit sequence headed by a King) may move into an empty column. Free cells hold one card each as temporary parking. The same-suit tableau rule makes Seahaven Towers harder than FreeCell while keeping the same fundamental open-information puzzle character; perfect play wins approximately 75 to 90 percent of random deals.

Players

Single-player patience. Two players may race the same shuffle to compare solving speed; otherwise it is strictly a solo puzzle.

Card Deck

One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. All 52 cards are visible from the start. Tableau builds down in suit (e.g., on ); foundations build up in suit (Ace through King). Suit and rank both matter; an Ace may be placed on its empty foundation only when reachable.

Objective

Move every card onto the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace through King.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the 52-card deck thoroughly.
2. Deal 50 cards face up into 10 tableau columns of 5 cards each. Spread each column downward so every card is visible; only the bottom (closest-to-you) card of each column is initially in play.
3. Deal the remaining 2 cards face up into two of the four free cells (the other two free cells start empty).
4. Leave a row above the columns for the four foundation piles, initially empty.

Gameplay

1. Available cards: Only the bottom (lowest in the column) card of each tableau column is in play, plus any card sitting in a free cell.
2. Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King ( through in spades, with the corresponding A-to-K sequence in each of the other three suits). Once a card is on a foundation it normally stays there (some house rules allow temporary removal back to the tableau).A♠K♠
3. Tableau (build down by suit): Move the bottom card of one column onto the bottom card of another column if the receiving card is the same suit and one rank higher (e.g., onto ).9♥10♥
4. Sequence moves: A descending same-suit sequence already at the bottom of a column may be moved together to another column whose bottom card is one rank higher and the same suit. The maximum group size depends on free cells available; effectively (free cells + 1) cards per move (since each card 'borrowed' to free cells reduces capacity).
5. Free cells: Each free cell holds at most one card of any rank or suit. A card can be placed there from any column bottom or moved from a free cell to a column or foundation following normal building rules.
6. Empty columns: Only a King (or a same-suit sequence headed by a King) may be placed into an empty column. This is the key limit that distinguishes Seahaven from FreeCell.
7. No redeal: Once stuck with no legal move, the game is lost. Open information means there is no shuffle or stock to draw from.

Scoring

• Win: All 52 cards on the four foundations.
• Loss: No legal moves remain and at least one card is still in the tableau or a free cell.
• Win rate: Approximately 75-90 percent of random deals are solvable with perfect play (lower than FreeCell's near-100 percent because of the same-suit and King-only-empty-column constraints).

Winning

• Win: All 52 cards on the foundations.
• Loss: No more legal moves; the deal is unsolvable from this state.
• Tie / progress: Count cards on foundations as a partial score.
• Streak: Players sometimes track winning percentage across 100 deals; an 80%+ win rate suggests strong play.

Common Variations

• FreeCell: The closest cousin; 8 columns of varying length, builds tableau in alternating colours, allows any card in empty columns.
• Baker's Game: FreeCell with same-suit tableau building (like Seahaven) but only 8 columns.
• Penguin: A FreeCell variant with 7 columns, 7 free cells, and a starter card pre-placed on the foundation.
• Eight Off: A FreeCell variant with 8 free cells and 8 tableau columns, builds tableau by suit.
• Seahaven Towers (relaxed): Allows any card in empty columns; raises the win rate noticeably.
• Seahaven Towers (3 free cells): Reduces free cells to 3 for added difficulty; for puzzle masters.

Tips and Strategy

• Keep free cells empty as long as possible. Each occupied free cell shrinks the maximum sequence-move size by one and severely restricts late-game flexibility.
• Plan to build long same-suit descending sequences in place. Moving a --- block to another column is enormously efficient compared to moving each card separately.10♥9♥8♥7♥
• Free a King early. An empty tableau column is useless unless a King is ready to move into it; without one, you are wasting a slot.
• Avoid moving low cards (2s, 3s) onto the tableau before their foundations are open. Once a low card lands on a wrong-suit column, it becomes hard to extract.
• Plan three to five moves ahead. Open-information solitaires reward visualisation; if you cannot see the path to free a buried Ace, the deal may be unsolvable.
• Use free cells for genuine emergencies, not convenience. A free cell holding a 7 you didn't really need to move is a wasted slot for the rest of the deal.

Glossary

• Tableau column: One of the 10 face-up columns of cards.
• Bottom card: The card closest to you in a column; the only one available for moves from that column.
• Free cell: A holding spot for one card outside the tableau; 4 in Seahaven Towers (2 start filled).
• Foundation: The four target piles built up in suit from Ace to King.A♠K♠
• Build down by suit: Place a card on another card of the same suit and one rank higher in the tableau.
• Sequence move: Moving a group of consecutive same-suit cards in one action; capacity equals 1 + number of empty free cells.
• King-only empty column rule: Only a King (or King-headed sequence) may move into an empty tableau column.
• Open information: All cards are visible from the start; no hidden cards or stock.