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Indian is a double-deck Napoleon family patience with an unusual building rule: tableau columns stack down in any suit except the card's own suit. Ten columns of three cards (one face-down at the base) keep the opening layout compact, while a 74-card stock provides extra resources. Win rate is around 35%.
What is Indian Solitaire?
Indian Solitaire is a two-deck patience game in the Napoleon at St Helena family. Ten tableau columns are dealt three cards each: the bottom card is face-down and the top two are face-up. The remaining 74 cards form the stock. Tableau columns build down in any suit except the suit of the card being covered - a rule that is more permissive than same-suit building but more restrictive than free alternating-colour building. Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be relocated as a unit. Eight foundations (four per deck) must be built from Ace up to King in suit.
Indian Solitaire layout explained
With one face-down card per column, the opening tableau immediately reveals nine cards per column after the first move that uncovers a base card. The 74-card stock is drawn one card at a time to a waste pile, and the top waste card is always available for play. Because the building rule is "any suit except own", a red card of any suit can stack on another red card provided the ranks differ by one - something impossible in same-suit or strict alternating-colour games.
How to play Indian Solitaire
Indian Solitaire rules and objective
Move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, each built from Ace to King in a single suit. A card may be placed on a tableau column if it is one rank lower and of any suit other than the current top card's suit. Only the topmost card of any pile may be moved. Face-down base cards flip automatically when the face-up card above them is removed. Empty columns accept any single card. Draw one card at a time from the stock; no redeals.
Game setup
- Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together (104 cards total).
- Deal one face-down card to each of ten columns.
- Deal two face-up cards on top of each face-down card, giving ten columns of three.
- Reserve space above for eight foundation slots.
- Place the remaining 74 cards face-down as the stock.
Strategies to win Indian Solitaire
- Flip the face-down base cards early. With only one hidden card per column, a single move uncovers it and expands your options significantly.
- Exploit the permissive building rule. Because any suit except the top card's own suit is valid, the same-colour pairing that blocks alternating-colour games is often legal here - use that flexibility to build longer chains.
- Cycle the stock carefully. With 74 stock cards and no redeal, each draw is a one-time opportunity. Exhaust all tableau moves before drawing to keep your options open as long as possible.
- Keep empty columns available. A free column provides temporary parking for a card that is blocking access to a face-down base card or a needed foundation card.
- Balance foundation suits. Pushing one suit far ahead leaves its partner suits with limited tableau destinations and can cause a deadlock on the single-card movement rule.
Indian vs similar double-deck Napoleon games
| Game | Columns | Build rule | Face-down | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forty Thieves | 10 × 4 | Same suit | None | ~15% |
| Indian | 10 × 3 | Any except own suit | 1 per col | ~35% |
| Midshipman | 9 × 4 | Any except own suit | 2 per col | ~45% |
| Streets | 10 × 4 | Alternating colour | None | ~20% |
Indian Solitaire FAQ
What does "any suit except own suit" mean in Indian Solitaire?
It means a card can be placed on any lower-ranked card as long as the two cards have different suits. If the top tableau card is the 7 of Hearts, you may place a 6 of Clubs, Diamonds, or Spades on it - but not a 6 of Hearts. This rule sits between the strict same-suit rule of Forty Thieves and the colour-based rule of Streets, allowing more building opportunities while still constraining same-suit stacking.
How many cards are in the stock in Indian Solitaire?
After dealing 30 cards to the ten tableau columns, 74 cards remain in the stock. One card is drawn at a time to a waste pile. Because there is no redeal, planning your draws to coincide with productive moves is a key part of the strategy.
Can you move sequences in Indian Solitaire?
No. Like most Napoleon family games, Indian allows only one card to be moved at a time. Sequences build naturally on the tableau, but each card in a sequence must be moved individually. This single-card restriction is a core part of the challenge despite the more flexible suit building rule.
What happens when a column is emptied in Indian Solitaire?
An empty column can accept any single card from the waste pile or from the top of another tableau column. Because you cannot move sequences, empty columns serve primarily as single-card staging areas. They are most valuable for temporarily relocating a blocking card so you can reach a card buried beneath it.