Scorpion Solitaire deals seven columns of seven cards with three spare cards in a reserve. You build same-suit sequences downward, move any face-up card with the cards beneath it, and win by completing four runs from King to Ace.
A different kind of problem
There are no foundations to fill and no stock to turn. Everything happens in the seven columns, and the tension comes from the reserve: three cards that you must place on top of your tableau whether you want to or not. Until then you have all the time in the world.
The first four columns hide three cards each. Peeling those back is your opening job, so look for moves that reveal them before moves that merely tidy.
How the pieces fit
A same-suit rule is stricter than alternating colors, so useful moves are rarer. The reward is that a move you make rarely has to be undone: once the 8 of clubs sits on the 9 of clubs, they stay a pair. The skill is in the moves that carry baggage — picking up a card and everything over it lets you relocate a messy tail in one step, at the price of dropping that tail somewhere less convenient.
Plan, then deal
- Use every available move before you touch the reserve.
- Clear a column as soon as you can; Kings need an empty home.
- Avoid hiding a long same-suit run under a mismatched tail.
- Stuck? Hint will tell you whether to deal the reserve.
Reference
| Deal | 7 columns × 7 cards, 3 hidden in each of the first 4, 3 in reserve |
|---|---|
| Build | Same suit, one rank lower |
| Empty column | King only |
| Win | Four K→A same-suit runs |
More detail and a worked example live on the Scorpion rules page. Players who want a gentler tableau game may prefer Yukon, and those who like quick rounds can try Golf.
Scorpion Solitaire questions
What is the goal of Scorpion?
To assemble four complete runs, King down to Ace, one for each suit. A finished run leaves the table by itself.
Can I move a card that isn’t part of a run?
Yes. Any face-up card can be picked up together with every card below it in its column, whatever those cards are. Only the top card of the group must fit its new spot.
What goes on a card?
A card of the same suit and exactly one rank lower. A 9 of spades goes on the 10 of spades, never on the 10 of hearts.
What does the reserve do?
Three cards sit in the reserve. Tap it once to place one face up on each of the first three columns, whether or not those cards fit anything. It can be done only once per game.
Which cards can go in an empty column?
Only a King, together with whatever is attached to it.