All the cards are visible

Keep these points in mind. The goal is four complete same-suit King-to-Ace sequences. All cards are face up from the beginning. There are ten tableau columns and no stock pile. Simple Simon on zzhtsteel.com uses a single 52-card deck with four suits.

Read the opening pattern

The following details apply here. The first three opening columns contain eight cards each. All 52 cards are placed in the tableau at the start. No hidden cards remain to be turned over later. The remaining columns contain seven, six, five, four, three, two and one cards.

Build down by rank

An Ace is the lowest rank and cannot receive another card. An exposed card can land on a card exactly one rank higher. A King needs an empty column because no higher rank exists. Single-card placement does not require matching suits.

Keep a descending suit sequence

Keep these points in mind. A group moves together only when its selected cards descend in the same suit. A visible card can remain blocked by cards beneath it. A shorter same-suit segment at the bottom may offer a legal move. Being face up does not make every multi-card group movable.

Manage suit changes

The following details apply here. Planning where each segment can land helps avoid blocking a useful card. A mixed build must be separated into legal groups before those groups can move. A mixed-suit descending build can serve as a temporary arrangement. Open columns can provide space for rearranging suit segments.

Create room to rearrange

Keep these points in mind. An empty column accepts any exposed card or legal same-suit group. You do not have to reserve empty columns for Kings. A King-led group cannot land on a nonempty column. Spare columns can help you reconnect separated parts of one suit.

There is no stock

Simple Simon has no stock-deal action. A difficult position cannot receive another row of cards. All possible future arrangements depend on the cards already in the tableau. Undo and Replay provide ways to investigate a different sequence of decisions.

Four runs finish the game

A full qualifying run is removed automatically at the bottom of a column. A descending sequence with a suit change does not count as complete. Each collected run must contain one suit in order from King down to Ace. Collecting four runs clears all 52 cards.

Use the controls carefully

The following details apply here. Random Simple Simon games are not claimed to be guaranteed solvable. Replay returns to the same opening arrangement. Hint suggests a currently legal move rather than a complete solution. New game deals a fresh face-up arrangement.

A separate saved game

A few details help explain this feature. My Statistics lists Simple Simon starts, wins and best completed results. Its saved position is separate from Spider and the other variants. With saving enabled, Simple Simon stores its current game in this browser. Use Privacy & Cookie Settings to manage or clear the local records.