Fun With Freeware 1

The object is to rearrange the cards by using the gaps, so that, by the end of the game, each row contains all the cards of the same suit in the correct order. (click on thumbnails to see full-sized images)

A card can be moved to a gap, provided the card is one rank lower and in the same suit as the card in front of the gap. The game ends when no more cards can be moved. Although all the cards are shown from the start and in spite of its simple rules, it is a challenge to find the strategy to win a game of Rangoon.

Just three rules define the play after laying out the tableau of cards in the four horizontal rows of thirteen face-up cards. The first rule describes how the kings must be arranged at the head of each row: The kings are in a fixed order of suits from the top row to the bottom: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs, in that order. 

The second rule describes how the other cards should be moved.
All moves are bound by a single rule: a card may be moved to a gap provided the card in front of that gap is its predecessor in rank and suit. So, for example, the eight of hearts can be moved to a gap following the nine of hearts but to nowhere else. Each time you move a card to a gap, you are creating a new gap. Once any ace is ahead of a gap, the gap becomes unusable, since there is no card to play to it.

When no more moves are possible, the cards that are in the correct places remain and a second deal is made of the remaining cards (click 2nd Deal). There is then a third deal, if you need it, but no more.

The third rule defines when the game ends. After the third deal, when there are no more moves possible, whether because you have won or because all the gaps are behind aces, the game is over. With skill or luck -or a combination of both- you might have finished the game properly and created four rows with all cards ranked. In most cases, however, you will have been stuck before you get to that point. You may consider yourself a skilled player when you are successful in one out of 100 games.

In the "standard" mode of the program the above rules are enhanced with the triple-deal option, one of the many known variants. 

With two more deals, a skilled player can, according to the author, win over 50 % of the games. 

We wondered whether the author had deliberately arranged deals placing gaps next to aces, when we succeeded at last!

Unless you complete the 'Create/Select Gameset' menu, under Admin on the toolbar, you will get an error message, after the game is over, not that this will cause any harm.

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