Osmosis solitaire is an interesting game whose gameplay is different from many other solitaire
games.
Layout
The game is played with a single standard, shuffled deck. Four reserve rows are dealt, consisting of
four cards each. These reserve rows are dealt face down, except for the fourth card in each row which is dealt face up.
Four foundation rows will be built up to the right of the reserve cards. Initially, just the first foundation is started with one random card. In the example (see Figure 1), this card was the Jack of Spades.
To the left of the layout, the remaining cards are placed in a stock pile. A waste pile will be formed above the stock pile as the cards are gone through.
Aim
The aim of the game is to play all cards on to the foundations, one foundation per suit.
Gameplay
The face-up cards on top of the reserve rows are available for play at any time. The top card of the stock pile and waste pile are also available for play. The top card from the stock pile can always be placed on to the waste to reveal the next card in the stock.
Available cards from the stock, waste or reserves can be played one by one on to the foundations, obeying some special rules:
- there will be one foundation per suit (at the beginning of the game, only the suit for the first foundation
has been determined: Spades in this case);
- the value of the random card initially dealt on to the first foundation row will determine
the value that must start the other foundations: so in this case, the next Jack to be
discovered can be used to start the next foundation row, immediately below the Spades row;
- the next foundation to be started must be immediately below the last foundation with
cards in it: you can't "skip" a row;
- cards can be built on to the foundations in any order (other than the rule about the
card that starts each foundation): so in this example, the 4 and 8 of Spades can always be played
on to the top foundation row;
- except the upper foundation row (the Spades row in this example), you can only build a card
on to a foundation if a card of that value has already been built on to the foundation
row immediately above.
Whenever a card is played from the end of a reserve row, the face-down card underneath it is
then turned face up and is available for play.
You win the game if you get all 52 cards on to the foundations. You lose if you reach a point
where no more moves are available, even with re-deals.