Silver Deck: Fortune Lane

About Silver Deck: Fortune Lane

Silver Deck: Fortune Lane is a solo card game set in a forgotten royal archive, a long hall of black marble lit by a single silver candelabra. Eighteen documents lie in five staggered lanes of four, three, four, three and four. The open card at the end of a lane is played onto a silver salver when it is one rank above or below the card on it; the Ace and the King meet. Two seal clips hold a card aside, and the document chest holds twelve cards to draw.

Clear a lane and the worth of the suits trades its ends: the dearest suit becomes the cheapest and the cheapest the dearest. Four silver crests beside the lanes show what each suit is worth now, with gold notches for the steps.

The game is a lane of five deals, one for each candle of the candelabra. Before each deal you take one of two rule cards laid face up, and the points of every deal are added down the lane. The candle of the deal in play is lit, and its flame grows as the deal goes well. A deal won burns on with a small gold ring round the flame; a deal lost is snuffed and a thread of smoke curls up from it. Win all five and the crown is lit: every candle blazes, a silver crown set with red stones is lowered onto the candelabra and the great bell tolls.

Every deal is checked by a solving player before you see it, so it can always be cleared, and its par shows what a sharp player can reach. Today's challenge is the same lane for everyone, with your best score saved, and a deal can be played again from the start. Score only: nothing is staked. A deal saves where you leave it, in this browser only; nothing is uploaded.

How to play

Tap the open card at the end of a lane, or drag it to the salver, when it is one rank above or below the card on it. The Ace and the King are neighbours.
Clear a whole lane and the ends of the worth of the suits trade places. The four silver crests show the worth now.
Hold a card aside under a seal clip to reach the one beneath it: drag it there, or tap it and then the clip. It can be played from there later.
Draw from the document chest when nothing fits. It holds twelve cards and is never refilled. Before each deal of the lane, tap one of the two rule cards to take it.
Press H or the Hint button for a good move, and U or the Undo button to take a move back. The par on the results is what a sharp player can reach.

Controls

Tap a card, or drag it to the salver — play it
Drag a card to a seal clip, or tap it and then the clip; R — park it
Tap the document chest or press E — draw a card
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 does clearing a lane do?

The worth of the suits trades its ends: the dearest suit becomes the cheapest and the cheapest the dearest. The four silver crests show the worth at any time.

What is the lane?

Five deals in a row, one for each candle. Before each deal you take one of two rule cards, and the points of every deal are added together. Nothing is staked: it is a score and nothing else.

What happens when I lose a deal?

Its candle is snuffed, and the lane carries on with the next deal. Your points so far stay in the lane's total.

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?

Yes, in this browser only. Your unfinished deal, best scores and badges are never uploaded.