Piles 52Best –
How to play
Goal
Fold the 52 cards into as few piles as you can, ideally one.
How it works
- The cards are laid out in a row (shown here in rows of seven). Tap a card to move it onto the card immediately before it, or the card three before it, if the two top cards match in suit or number.
- The pile moves with everything on it, and the gap closes up. Cards only ever move towards the start.
- If a card has two places it can go, tap it and then tap the one you want.
- The game ends when one pile remains (a win) or nothing can move. Your score is the number of piles left: fewer is better.
Tips
- Moving a card three places often matters more than one: it can save a card that would otherwise be stranded.
- Try to keep a mix of suits and numbers near the front, so there is always something to match.
- Think before you move a pile onto a neighbour: the card underneath is hidden for good.
The history of Accordion
Accordion is a patience game that has been played in Britain since the early 1900s. It is also known as Methuselah, because it can go on a long time, and it is notoriously hard to win: most deals end with several piles left.