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How to Play TriPeaks

A complete guide to the solitaire: the three-peaks layout, how to remove exposed cards one rank above or below the wave, the “ace–king” ring, scoring, combos and controls on muta.pro.

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In short

Goal
Clear all three peaks
Players
1
Game
3–8 min
Difficulty
Easy
Genre
Solitaire

Goal of the game

TriPeaks is a fast-paced solitaire for one player. Laid out on the table are three stacks of cards (peaks) — 28 cards in all. Your task is to remove them all, moving exposed cards one by one into a shared “wave.” You may take a card only if its rank is one higher or lower than the top card of the wave. Clear all 28 cards and you win.

The longer the unbroken run of consecutively removed cards, the higher the multiplier and the more points you score. So the game rewards not just clearing the table, but how skillfully you build your chains.

The layout

A standard 52-card deck is used. 28 cards form three pyramid-peaks: four rows of 3, 6, 9 and 10 cards that partly overlap one another. The upper cards lie face down, while the bottom row of ten cards is exposed right away. The remaining cards go into the stock (the deck), and one card is turned up into the wave — that is where play begins.

A card in the peaks is considered exposed once both of the cards overlapping it from the row below have been removed. Only exposed cards can be taken into the wave.

How to remove cards

Watch the wave

The current wave card sets what you can remove right now. You may remove any exposed card whose rank is exactly one higher or one lower than the wave.

Build a chain

A removed card becomes the new wave itself. Onto it you can again place a card one rank higher or lower — so your moves add up to an unbroken run.

Suit doesn't matter

Color and suit are irrelevant — only rank counts. Any six or eight fits on a seven, regardless of suit.

The ace–king ring

Rank order is closed into a loop: an ace can be placed on a king, and on an ace you can place a king or a two. This lets you draw long runs across the edge of the deck.

Open the stock

Stuck with nothing to remove — take a card from the stock: it becomes the new wave card. But drawing from the stock breaks your current run.

Clear the peaks

By removing the lower cards you expose the ones above them. The goal is to reach the tops and clear all 28 cards off the table.

Scoring, combos and the finish

Every removed card scores points multiplied by the run multiplier: the longer the unbroken chain, the higher it climbs (rising with each consecutive card removed, up to ×8). At three and six cards in a row a “hot streak” notice appears. Drawing a card from the stock resets the run and the multiplier to the start.

A win comes when all 28 peak cards have been removed. It earns a bonus that grows the faster you finish and the more cards are left in the stock. A dead end occurs when there is not a single matching card on the table and the stock is empty — the game then ends and your scored points are counted. The game keeps statistics: number of games, wins, best score and longest run.

Controls on muta.pro

🖱️
Remove a card
Click an exposed card highlighted as available — it flies into the wave with an animation.
🂠
Draw from the deck
The “Draw from deck” button (or a click on the stock pile) turns a new card up into the wave. The button dims when the stock is empty.
🔄
New
The “New” button shuffles the deck and deals a fresh three-peaks layout.
📊
Score and combos
On the right you see the score, timer, current multiplier and run bar; on the left, statistics and the room chat.

Beginner tips

Save the stock

Every card from the deck breaks your run and spends your reserve. Squeeze everything out of the table first, and only then draw from the stock.

Plan long chains

Before removing a card, look at what it will expose next. A long run builds the multiplier, and ten cards in a row score far more points.

Open the tops

Remove the lower cards so as to free the face-down upper ones as soon as possible — those are usually what block the layout.

Remember the ring

Aces and kings connect the ends of the deck. Keep them in mind to extend a run where it looks like there are no moves.

Strategy: read the layout ahead

TriPeaks is won not by clicking speed but by the order of removal. Before you take an available card, ask yourself: what will it expose beneath it, and won't I need it later as a link in a chain? The wrong order locks the layout so that the stock isn't enough.

Head for the face-down cards

The value of a move lies not in the card you remove but in what it exposes. Remove first those exposed cards that uncover two face-down cards at once.

Keep both branches of the wave

From any rank the wave can go up or down. Weigh which of the two branches leads to a longer run, and build that one.

Count what is running short

If the neighboring rank you need is no longer on the table and is unlikely to come up from the stock, remove the card while you can rather than saving it “for later.”

78910

Ascending chain 7→8→9→10: suits are irrelevant, only the neighboring rank matters.

Chain and multiplier tactics

The multiplier grows with each consecutive card removed (up to ×8), so one long run scores more than the same cards removed haphazardly. Drawing from the stock zeroes the multiplier — plan to draw from the deck as rarely as possible.

Use the A↔K ring

Rank order is closed: an ace goes on a king, and on an ace a king or a two. Through this “bridge” a run leaps the edge of the deck and continues where it seems there are no moves.

Reverse the wave

You can lead the chain in a zigzag: 6→7→6→5. Change direction if it hooks another exposed card and lengthens the run.

Bank up before opening the stock

Before pressing “Draw from deck,” squeeze off the table everything that connects. Drawing from the stock is worth it only when the table has truly stalled.

KA2

The ring in action: K→A→2 — the run passes through the junction of the highest and lowest cards.

Variants and modes

The classic on muta.pro is three peaks of 28 cards and a single pass through the stock without reshuffling. But the TriPeaks family has recognizable variations, and understanding the differences helps you carry your skill across.

Without rank “wrap-around”

In the strict version the A↔K ring is disabled: an ace neighbors only a two, and a king only a queen. Layouts are solvable less often, and every move costs more.

With stock reshuffling

In more generous variants you're allowed to gather the played wave and go through the stock again. There are fewer dead ends, but the speed bonus is lower too.

Against the clock and for points

The score mode rewards long runs and leftover stock; the speed mode is pure time to clear all three peaks. The tactics for each differ.

=J

Three face-down cards over the top: the peak's top card is revealed only when both cards overlapping it from below are removed.

Common mistakes

Most lost deals were solvable — they were ruined not by the layout but by the order of moves. Here are the recurring slips worth avoiding.

  1. Removing “whatever's handy.” Taking the first available card you see, you can easily break a future long chain and lose the multiplier.
  2. Squandering the stock. Every draw from the deck zeroes the run and spends a reserve that is scarce in a single pass. Draw from the stock as a last resort.
  3. Forgetting the A↔K ring. A player sees a dead end even though the run can continue through the ace–king bridge.
  4. Digging into one peak. If you clear only the left stack, the middle and right stay covered and give you no moves at the decisive moment. Open the peaks evenly.
  5. Ignoring the downward branch. A seven takes not only an eight but also a six — the descending direction is often forgotten.

Frequently asked questions

Does the card suit matter?
No. You can remove a card of any suit or color — what matters is that its rank is one higher or one lower than the wave.
What counts as a single run?
Cards removed from the table one after another without going to the stock. As soon as you draw a card from the deck, the multiplier resets.
Can you place an ace on a king?
Yes. Rank order is closed into a ring: an ace and a king count as neighbors, just like an ace and a two.
What happens if no moves are left?
If there are no matching cards on the table and the stock is empty, a dead end is declared and the game ends with the points you scored. Start a new deal with the “New” button.
Where should I start clearing — from which peak?
Clear the three peaks evenly rather than one all the way down. That keeps more lower cards exposed and you almost always have a playable move without spending the stock.
Should I save aces and kings?
Don't hold them back pointlessly, but remember the ring: an ace links a king and a two. Sometimes it pays to keep an ace available so you can jump the edge of the deck through it and continue a run.
How do I squeeze the most points out of a deal?
Remove cards in one unbroken chain for as long as possible: the multiplier grows with every consecutive card and only resets when you draw from the stock. A long run scores more than the same cards taken piecemeal.
What do I do when there are no moves left on the table?
Take one card from the stock — it becomes the new wave and often opens up a chain again. Before you draw, make sure there's really nothing to remove from the table: a draw resets the multiplier.
Is a TriPeaks deal always solvable?
No. Some layouts can't be solved even with perfect play because of an unlucky card arrangement. But most losses are caused by the order of moves, not a hopeless layout.
How does TriPeaks differ from Pyramid?
In Pyramid cards are removed in pairs summing to 13, while here they're removed one at a time, one rank above or below the wave, in long chains. TriPeaks is more dynamic and rewards planning your runs much more.
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