Moonlit Archive: Suit Garden

About Moonlit Archive: Suit Garden

Moonlit Archive: Suit Garden is a solo card puzzle played in a shadow-puppet theatre found in the attic of an old archive. A short deck, Ace to Nine in four suits of moons, lotuses, lanterns and fans, is laid on a red lacquer table in six short rows that open on the left, like players waiting in the wings. Behind them stands a paper screen with an oil lamp burning at its back.

Each suit has a bed on the screen, and each bed is planted from the Ace up. With every card a shadow tree grows a branch; leaves come at the fifth card, buds at the seventh, and the Nine brings the tree into blossom in its own coloured light. Only the card at the open end of a row can be planted, and only when it is next in line. The prompt box turns over one card at a time onto the cue tray, and goes back into the box twice.

The heart of the game is the choice the three wings give you. A card sent to a wing is out of the way now and ready later, and a long run of plays with no draw and no wing in it scores more with every step. Clearing a row turns every suit one step round in value, shown by the lit lanterns over each tree, so a card saved for later may be worth more or less when it comes on. A new rule each night changes something on the stage. Every deal is checked by a solving player before you see it, and the par shows what a sharp hand can reach. Your best scores and badges stay in this browser.

How to play

Plant each suit in its bed from the Ace up to the Nine. Tap a card that is next in line, or drag it to its bed.
Only the card at the open, left end of a row can be played. Playing it opens the card beside it.
Send a card to one of the three wings to reach the card behind it, or to keep it for a longer run later: drag it to a free wing, or tap it and then the wing.
Turn the prompt box over one card at a time onto the cue tray. The tray goes back into the box twice, so keep count.
A run of plays with no draw and no wing in between scores more with each step. Clearing a row turns every suit one step round in value.
Bring all four trees into blossom to win. 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 its bed — plant it
Drag a card to a wing, or tap it and then the wing; R — send it to a wing
Tap the prompt box or press E — turn a card over
Arrow keys or WASD, then Space or Enter; D-pad or stick, then Ⓐ — plant
Undo button, U or Ⓨ — undo; Hint button, H or LB — a hint
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

How do the shadow trees grow?

Each bed is planted from the Ace up. Its tree grows a branch with every card, leaves at the fifth, buds at the seventh, and blossoms with the Nine.

Why keep a card in a wing?

A wing holds one card out of the way, and you can plant it whenever its turn comes. Saved cards let you play a long unbroken run later, and every step of a run scores more.

What do the lanterns over each tree mean?

They show what the suit is worth now, one to four lanterns a card. Clearing a row turns every suit one step round, so the most valuable suit becomes the least.

Can every deal be won?

With "Winnable deals only" (the default, and always for today's challenge) a solving player has won 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.