Learn to Play Forty Thieves: Rules & Tips
| Players | 1 Player |
| Difficulty | 7/10 |
| Recommended Age | 10+ |
| Game Category | Solitaire |
Forty Thieves Game Overview
Forty Thieves is a classic solitaire card game that will test your strategy and patience. In this game, you'll need to move cards around the board to create stacks of cards in descending order by suit. With a mix of luck and skill, you'll need to empty the tableau and foundation piles to win the game. Are you up for the challenge?
Objective of the Game
The object of Forty Thieves is to move all cards from the tableau and foundation piles to the waste pile. Cards are moved from the tableau to the foundation piles in descending order by suit. You can only move one card at a time, and only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play. The game is won when all cards have been moved to the waste pile.
Materials Needed for Playing Forty Thieves
- A standard deck of 52 playing cards
Cards Used
A standard deck of 52 playing cards is used in Forty Thieves.
Other Supplies Needed
None
How To Play Forty Thieves
- Shuffle the deck of cards and deal 10 tableau piles of 4 cards each, all face up.
- Place the remaining cards in the deck, face down, to form the stock pile.
- Turn over the top card of the stock pile to form the waste pile.
- Move cards from the tableau piles to the foundation piles in descending order by suit. Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
- Fill any empty tableau piles with cards from the stock pile.
- Once the stock pile has been exhausted, turn over the waste pile and use it as the stock pile.
- Repeat steps 4-6 until all cards have been moved to the waste pile.
Keeping Score
In Forty Thieves, there is no scoring. The goal is simply to win the game by moving all cards to the waste pile.
Related Games
If you enjoy playing Forty Thieves, you may also enjoy these similar card games: