NUMBER OF PLAYERS: One

AGE APPROPRIATE: 14 to adult

THE DECK: Universal Card Deck – all 60 cards

RANK OF CARDS: Galaxy (high), Sun, Moon, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (low)

VALUE OF CARDS: 1 point each

RANK OF SUITS: E-Earth (high), J-Jupiter, M-Mars, N-Neptune, S-Saturn, V-Venus (low)

THE DEAL AND SETUP: Six cards are dealt face up, side-by-side in a row.

OBJECT OF PLAY: To get all cards onto the bar (an area above the row of stacks).

THE PLAY: First determine if any of the six up cards can be moved to another stack. A card can be played on another if it is one rank less in sequence, and if it is of a lesser rank in suit; e.g., a 5 N can be played on 6 J, but not on a 6 S (Neptune is less than Jupiter in rank, but not less than Saturn). This starts the building process, which is forming columns of cards in descending order down from each of the six stacks. The top card of any stack, together with all face up cards lined vertically down from it in descending order, may be placed at the bottom of another column only if that top card is the next lower card in sequence rank than the bottom card of the receiving column, and is of a lower ranking suit. This play is similar in concept to traditional solitaire, except with the additional inclusion of suit ranking.When the last card in a column is a Venus card, the only card that can be played on it is an Earth card of one rank less in sequence, e.g., only the Earth 7 can be played on the Venus Moon. Another unique aspect of play is that cards can be played above the top card in a column if it is one rank higher in sequence and of a higher rank in suit, e.g., a 5M can be placed above a 4S, but not above a 4J. When an Earth card is at the top of a column, only the Venus card that is one higher rank in sequence can be placed above it, e.g., only the Venus Sun can be placed above the Earth Moon. Once the top card in a column is a galaxy card, no cards above it can be played.Every third card of the remaining stock of 54 cards is turned over one at a time to determine if it can be played on any of the six columns or on the bar. There may be times when a card can be played on either the columns or the bar. That decision is part of the strategy and fun of the game. The player can go through the stock three times. Once a card is played from the stock onto the columns or bar, the card behind it becomes available for play as well.Variations: The player may choose to turn over every other card from the stock, which allows the player to go through the stock twice. The player may also choose to turn over every card in the stock one at a time, which allows the player to go through the stock only once.When all the cards from a particular stack have been moved, the empty space may be filled with a Galaxy card only. Play to the Bar: Play here is by suits, starting with the 1 cards as foundations for each of the six suits, and then stacking on top in ascending sequence; e.g., 1 V followed by the 2 V on top of it and so on. The six foundation stacks on the bar can be directly above the six stacks/columns of the player’s layout. Going out: Playing all the cards from the stock and placing all the cards from the layout onto the bar. Most often the player will not be able to go out completely. The game ends when the player is not able to play any more cards from the stock and place any more cards from the layout onto the bar.

SCORING: 1 points for every card on the bar. 60 points – Top of your game40-58 – Expert20-39 – Above average10-19 – Average1-9 – Novice

© Copyright 2011 by John Frampton & Craig Richter