Brass Observatory: Last Draw

About Brass Observatory: Last Draw

Brass Observatory: Last Draw is a solo card game set in a camera obscura at the back of a seaside shop. In the dark room a brass lens on the roof throws the bay down onto a round white dish: the sand, the sea in bands of green and blue, the old pier, gulls wheeling over the water. A full deck is laid on that moving picture in five jetties of four, five, six, five and four cards, and the open card at the end of a jetty is played onto the brass lens wheel: one rank up or down from the card on top, with the King and the Ace side by side.

The postcard box holds fourteen cards and is never turned back. Draw one when nothing fits, but every postcard still in the box when the last jetty is clear scores well, and as the box empties the weather turns: grey cloud drifts over the dish and the bell buoy rings for each of the last postcards. Two wooden easels hold a card each, so you can park a card to reach the one beneath it or keep it for a long run, since every card in a run without a draw scores a little more.

A line of bunting hangs over the jetties, one pennant for each suit, larger the more its suit is worth. Clearing a jetty turns every suit one step up, and the most valuable suit falls to the bottom, so the order of your jetties decides what the long runs pay. Clear them all and the lens swings west: the dish warms to a sunset and a ship sails across the bay. A new rule each day changes something in the room. Every deal is checked by a solving player before you see it, and the par shows what a careful player can reach. Your best scores and badges stay in this browser.

How to play

Play the open card at the end of a jetty onto the lens wheel: one rank up or down, with the King and the Ace side by side. Tap it, or drag it to the wheel.
When nothing fits, draw a postcard from the box. There are only fourteen and the box is never turned back.
Park a card on one of the two easels to reach the one beneath it, or to save it for later: drag it to an easel, or tap it and then the easel.
Clearing a jetty turns every suit one step up in worth, and the most valuable suit falls to the least. The pennants show what each suit is worth now.
Clear all five jetties to win. Postcards left in the box score extra, and so does every card in a run without a draw.
Press H or the Hint button for a good move, and U or the Undo button to take a move back.

Controls

Tap a card, or drag it to the lens wheel — play it
Drag a card to an easel, or tap it and then the easel; R — park it
Tap the postcard box or press E — draw a postcard
Arrow keys or WASD, then Space or Enter; D-pad or stick, then Ⓐ — play
Undo button, U or Ⓨ — undo; Hint button, H or LB — a hint
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

What is a camera obscura?

A dark room with a lens in the roof that throws a live picture of the view outside onto a white table. In this game the cards are laid on that picture of the bay.

Why is it called Last Draw?

The postcard box holds only fourteen cards and is never turned back, so the last few postcards decide whether the jetties can be cleared. Every postcard left over scores extra.

What do the pennants show?

What each suit is worth now: the larger the pennant and the more white stripes it carries, the more its cards score. Clearing a jetty turns every suit one step up, and the top suit falls to the bottom.

Can every deal be cleared?

With "Winnable deals only" (the default, and always for today's challenge) a solving player has cleared the deal before you see it. Choose "Any shuffle" in the settings for the luck of the draw.

Does it save my game?

Your unfinished deal, best scores and badges are saved in this browser only, and nothing is uploaded.