Why did some of my cards go up to the foundations before I moved?

That is the deal-time skim, Citadel's defining rule. As each card is dealt, it is checked against the foundations: an Ace on an empty foundation, or the next card in suit on a started one, is played there immediately and never reaches the tableau. The moment the deal ends, skimming stops - after that, cards reach the foundations only through your moves.

How is Citadel different from Streets and Alleys?

The rules of play are identical: eight open piles, build down by rank regardless of suit, one card at a time, any card to an empty pile, foundations up in suit. The only difference is the deal - Streets and Alleys starts with empty foundations, while Citadel plays every card that fits a foundation during the deal itself.

Do I always start with the four Aces on the foundations?

Yes. An Ace always fits its empty foundation at the moment it is dealt, so all four Aces skim on every deal. Most deals send a few more low cards up with them - the size of your head start is part of each game's character.

Can I move a foundation card back to the tableau?

No. Foundations are one-way in the whole castle family, and that includes the cards the deal skimmed. Once a card is on a foundation, it stays there.

Why are my tableau piles different lengths?

Every card that skims to a foundation skips its place in the layout, and the deal simply continues with the next card. At most 48 cards reach the tableau, so the piles finish at most six deep, and usually with uneven lengths.

Are all Citadel deals winnable?

No. Like the rest of the Beleaguered Castle family, some layouts lock up no matter how well you play - and a bigger head start does not always mean an easier game, because the skimmed cards are no longer available as tableau landing spots. The game detects a provably dead position and tells you rather than leaving you to shuffle forever.

Citadel Solitaire - Play Online & 100% Free

Play Citadel Solitaire Online - The Castle With a Head Start

Citadel Solitaire is a single-deck member of the Beleaguered Castle family, closest to Streets and Alleys — with one twist that happens before you touch a card. As the 52 cards are dealt across eight open piles, any card that fits a foundation at that exact moment is played there instead. The four Aces always go up this way, and often several low cards follow, so every game opens with a head start the deal itself earned.

How to Play Citadel

Objective: Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.

The Deal

Cards are dealt one at a time, row by row, across 8 tableau piles, all face up
A card that fits a foundation at the moment it is dealt — an Ace, or the next card in suit — goes to the foundation instead, and its tableau spot is skipped
Skimming stops when the deal ends; the piles finish with uneven depths of at most six cards

Basic Rules

Tableau piles build down by rank regardless of suit - a 7 of any suit goes on any 8
Move one card at a time - only the top card of a pile
An empty pile accepts any single card
Foundations build up in suit, continuing from wherever the deal left them; foundation cards never come back down
No stock, no waste, no redeal - everything is on the table from the start

Winning Strategy Tips

Read the whole board first - every card is visible, so plan before you move
Make an empty pile - a space that takes any card is your main maneuvering tool
Dig for the low cards - the 2s and 3s the deal missed are usually the real bottleneck
Do not rush every card up - a low card can be more useful in the tableau as a landing spot

Citadel vs. Its Cousins

Streets and Alleys: the same eight-pile, suit-blind game with no skimming - foundations start empty
Beleaguered Castle: only the Aces are pre-founded, by rule rather than by luck
Citadel: the deal skims everything that fits, so your head start varies from game to game

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did some of my cards go up before I moved?

That is Citadel's signature rule, not a bug. During the deal, every card that fits a foundation at the moment it leaves the deck is played there automatically. Once the deal finishes, the skimming stops - from then on, only your moves send cards up.

Storm the Citadel - your siege starts with the walls already breached!