Woven Archive: Fortune Lane

About Woven Archive: Fortune Lane

Woven Archive: Fortune Lane is a solo card game set in a clockmaker's workshop. Twenty cards lie on green baize in five columns of five, three, four, three and five, like the teeth of a wheel seen edge-on. The open card at the foot of a column is played onto the face of a pocket watch lying open on the bench, when it is one rank above or below the card showing; the Ace and the King meet. Two spring clips hold a card aside, and the parts drawer holds thirteen cards to draw.

Clear a whole column and the watch is wound a notch. The watch face turns a fifth of a round with a clunk and a whirr of ratchet, and the layout turns with it: every suit moves a place up in worth, so the dearest becomes the cheapest. Four small clock faces beside the bench show what each suit is worth now, with their hands at one, two, three or four. Above the cards, a train of five brass wheels meshes in a row, with a pendulum swinging at its end.

A lane is five deals, one for each wheel. 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 wheel of the deal in play turns. A deal won stops its wheel and sets a ruby in the hub; a deal lost leaves the wheel grey and still. Win all five and the hour strikes: the wheels race, every ruby shows and the workshop clock rings five brass strokes.

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. 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 foot of a column, or drag it to the watch, when it is one rank above or below the card showing. The Ace and the King are neighbours.
Clear a whole column and the watch is wound a notch: its face turns, and every suit moves up a place in worth. The four small clock faces show the worth now.
Hold a card aside under a spring 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 parts drawer when nothing fits. It holds thirteen 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.

Controls

Tap a card, or drag it to the watch — play it
Drag a card to a spring clip, or tap it and then the clip; R — park it
Tap the parts drawer 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 column do?

The watch is wound a notch: its face turns a fifth of a round and every suit moves up a place in worth, so the dearest suit becomes the cheapest. The four small clock faces show the worth at any time.

What is the lane?

Five deals in a row, one for each brass wheel. 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 wheel goes grey and still, 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.