Opening Screen For New Game of Farewell To Kings

When the player opens up a new game the game board will look like the example above. The game starts when the player clicks on the cards shown on the right side of the window. By-the-way, there are a number of card back designs from which to choose. Consider the Kings to be glued down. They never move. To play the game one has to create books of four cards arranged in two rows of two.

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Example of a Book

Each book contains one card of each suit. The four cards must touch as in the example, but the location of the 9 of hearts for instance, can be in any one of the four corners.

Beginning The Game

To begin the game, the player chooses one of the four cards on the right by placing the cursor on it, holding down the mouse button, and dragging the card to one of the four kings of the same suit. Move the remaining cards in the same manner. When all four are moved four more will appear, face down. Click on any one of them and begin the second step. In the example above the four of clubs attaches above or below the king of clubs and the 9 of clubs attaches on the remaining side. The 8 of spades can go to the top, bottom, or to the left of the king of spades. Before you decide however, you have to figure out which side the 7 of diamonds will use because the 8 of spades and the 7 of diamonds can not touch. Only cards of the same suit or the same face may touch.

The First Delimia
(Click to see the image larger)

Oh wait, the seven of diamonds can't play at all because of the two spades already played. The application knows that and it grays out the card that won't play and give you three new ones.

The Second Delimia
(Click to see the image larger)

In this hand, the jack can go to the right of the king and the ace can go above or below the newly placed jack, remembering that each set of cards needs two rows of two. You figure, a piece of cake. The set of jacks can go down and the aces can go up. But now you have the queen of clubs. It has to go above the four or below the nine. Either choice is bad because you can't save the necessary two rows for the fours or the nines. However, you can not proceed with the game until you place the queen. Also, just as the kings are glued in place, so are any cards directly touching a king. They can not turn into orphans even if left untouched.

Did I forget to mention the orphans? Without them you would likely never win a game, but they can be a minefield on their own.

Part of the strategy of this game is to be able to "save" a card that has no place to go at the time it turns up. In the example below I had to put the 7 of clubs next to the ace of clubs and then a couple of hands later I drew the ace of spades. Before I can actually use the ace of spades to complete the book, I have to draw the other two eights and complete that book so that it will move off the playing area. Then I have to complete the book of sevens and have it move off the playing area. I can't continue the game though until I place the ace of spades somewhere. The strategy is to find a place for it where it will eventually become an orphan, i.e., not touching any other card. When that happens a card can be moved. My strategy is to place it on top of the 2 of spades. Eventually, the book of twos will be complete and move off the playing area. If , by that time, the books for the sevens and the eights have been completed, then I will be able to move the ace of spaces to align with the other aces. Of course, if the book of twos is finished first then I will have to find another place to leave my orphan ace of spades. Meanwhile, I have to be sure I do not attach any other card to the ace of spades. If I do, it is no longer an orphan

Where To Put An Orphan

The player can win. Past readers of this column know that no matter how painful, I always spend lots of time playing, oops, I mean testing any game I write about. This one is no exception. I love the challenge of this game. Sometimes you will know within 3 or 4 moves that you will never win that hand and you can start over. The mistake I have made most frequently is putting cards of the same face value next to two different kings. That is a definite killer and you may as well start over. But here is proof that the game can be won.

I Won
(Click to see the image larger)

One final note. Once you pay the shareware fee you have the added option of cheating. There are two versions of the game, one easy and one standard. In the easy version each book moves off the play area as it is completed. In the standard version the books only move off the playing area in order, beginning with the aces.

I hope you will try this game, but I claim no responsibility if you become addicted.