Three Hills
French deck · 52 cardsPeaks with wrap-aroundThree Hills is a peaks-style patience on the French deck: three hills of cards, a single pile and long runs up and down the values – here the King and the Ace connect.
Rules
Twenty-eight cards form three overlapping hills. The bottom row of ten is face up, the rows above are face down. One card starts the pile; twenty-three stay in the stock.
- Move any uncovered card onto the pile when it is one value higher or lower than the top card, in any suit.
- Values wrap around: a King may go on an Ace and an Ace on a King.
- A face-down card turns over as soon as both cards covering it are gone.
- When nothing fits, turn a card from the stock onto the pile. There is a single pass.
- Clear all three hills to win.
Strategy and tips
Turn cards over first
A card that uncovers a face-down card gives you new information and new options. Between two equal moves, choose the one that turns something over.
Make the run as long as you can
Each stock card ends your current run. Before starting, trace the longest chain you can see through the face-up cards; with wrap-around, Q-K-A-2 is a perfectly good run.
Keep the hills balanced
The three summits are the last cards to come free. Wearing down one hill while the others stay tall often leaves you with no reachable card at the end.
Hold a card in reserve
If a face-up card could join the run now or later, and no other card waits behind it, keeping it for after the next stock card can save a turn.
Count the stock
Twenty-three stock cards is a fair amount, but runs of one or two cards use them up fast. Aim for long runs early, while many cards are face up.
Numbered deals of Three Hills
Thirty fixed deals of Three Hills, each won by the solver before it was listed. Start with an easy one or jump straight to the hard ones.
- Deal #2Easy · 48 moves in the solver's line · 50% quick wins
- Deal #7Easy · 45 moves in the solver's line · 69% quick wins
- Deal #1Medium · 46 moves in the solver's line · 18% quick wins
- Deal #4Medium · 51 moves in the solver's line · 12% quick wins
- Deal #3Hard · 51 moves in the solver's line · 2% quick wins
- Deal #9Hard · 49 moves in the solver's line · 12% quick wins
Questions and answers
Is every deal winnable?
With “Only winnable deals” on (the default), every new deal has been won by the solver first or comes from a pre-checked list; the daily deal and the numbered deals are checked too. The solver knows the face-down cards, so you may still need undo now and then.
Why do some cards stay face down?
A card turns over only when both cards lying on it are gone. The summits of the three hills are the last to turn.
What does the number on the stock mean?
It shows how many cards are left in the stock. There is only one pass, so this number is the rest of your help.
Is Three Hills the same as other peaks games?
It uses the familiar layout of three overlapping peaks and values that wrap around from King to Ace, under our own name. Nothing else is borrowed: the cards, the table and the rules text are ours.
Go further
- One up, one downHow to play one-up-one-down solitaire well: chains instead of single moves, forks, end values, the stock as a clock, wrap-around and hidden cards.
- Daily dealToday's daily deal for seven solitaire games: the same shuffle for every player, checked as winnable. Play one a day and keep your streak going.
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- Italian deck · 40 cardsHillside Steps
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- French deck · 52 cardsPyramid Thirteen
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- French deck · 52 cardsMarina Golf
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