About Solitaire Crime Stories
Solitaire Crime Stories wraps tripeaks-style solitaire around a detective narrative, and the framing is more than decoration. You play as Lana Whitt, a young journalist in Springdale (a quiet American town where the quiet is doing a lot of concealing) and every hand of cards you clear advances the investigation: examining a crime scene, working through evidence, or getting a suspect to talk.
The card game underneath is solid and quick to learn. You clear a tableau by playing cards one rank above or below the card on your pile, chaining runs together for larger rewards. Chains are where the skill sits: taking the obvious card immediately is usually worse than looking for the sequence that clears four in a row, and later hands are laid out specifically to punish grabbing the first legal move.
What makes it work is that the story provides a reason to play one more hand: a device solitaire has always lacked. The cast is broad and the writing leans knowingly on English detective fiction, and the pacing between card play and narrative keeps either from wearing thin. It comfortably suits both solitaire newcomers and people who have played it for years.
How to play Solitaire Crime Stories
- Look at the card on top of your draw pile. This is your current value.
- Clear any available tableau card that is exactly one rank above or one rank below it.
- Cleared cards become your new current value, letting you chain moves together.
- Draw a fresh card from the deck when no tableau card can be played.
- Clear the tableau to win the hand and advance the story.
- Follow the investigation through Springdale, meeting characters and uncovering the case.
Controls
- Desktop: Click a playable card to move it to your pile; click the deck to draw.
- Mobile: Tap a playable card to take it; tap the deck to draw.
Tips and strategy
- Scan for the longest chain before you play anything. A run of four or five consecutive cards is worth far more than clearing the first legal card you notice.
- Prioritise cards that unblock two others beneath them. Opening the tableau is more valuable than shortening it.
- Hold your deck draws. Every draw is a finite resource, and spending one to avoid thinking for ten seconds is the most common way to lose a winnable hand.
- Aces and Kings connect at the ends of the rank sequence in most tripeaks variants: check how this game handles the wrap, because it changes which chains are available.
- When two chains are available, take the one that opens the more congested side of the tableau first. The loose side will usually still be playable later.
Solitaire Crime Stories FAQ
What kind of solitaire is Solitaire Crime Stories?
It uses tripeaks-style rules: you clear tableau cards that are one rank above or below the current card on your pile, chaining consecutive cards together, and drawing from the deck when you run out of moves.
Do I need to be good at solitaire to enjoy the story?
No. The game is pitched at both newcomers and experienced players, and the difficulty curve is gentle enough early on that the narrative stays accessible while you learn the card play.
Is there really a story, or is it just a theme?
There is a genuine plot. You play journalist Lana Whitt investigating murders and family secrets in Springdale, working with Assistant Sheriff Bill Maite, meeting a large cast of characters as the case develops between hands.
Is Solitaire Crime Stories free?
Yes. It plays free in your browser on Vzzle with no download, installation or account required.
