How to Play Clock
Clock is a quiet, solo patience game that feels like a tiny puzzle. If you like neat layouts and simple moves, you’ll enjoy learning it — and you can find other guides and solitaire tips at Playmore.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Game | Clock |
| Players | 1 |
| Deck | One full normal 52-card deck |
| Type | International patience |
| Setup | Deal 13 circular piles (12 hours + center) |
| Play time | About 5–15 minutes |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is to reveal and place every card onto the pile that matches its rank on the clock layout. If you can move cards so every pile has its correct face-up cards, you win. Some versions count wins differently, so check the authoritative rule reference for the exact version your group uses.
What you need and how to set up
You need one full, standard 52-card deck. Shuffle well. Deal the deck into 13 piles of four cards each, face-down. Arrange 12 piles around the table like the hours on a clock (Ace through Queen for 1–12 is a common mapping) and place the 13th pile in the centre for Kings. Leave all piles face-down until play begins.
How to play
- Choose a starting pile. A common choice is the center (the King pile), but some people start at 1 o’clock; follow the house rule you prefer.
- Turn the top card of your starting pile face-up and place it on its matching clock position. For example, place an Ace on the 1 o’clock pile, a 2 on the 2 o’clock pile, and a King in the centre (this ranking is the usual mapping, but check your rules if unsure).
- After you place a card, flip the top card of the pile where you just placed it. That newly flipped card goes face-up onto the pile matching its rank.
- Continue the chain: each flip points you to the next pile to take a card from, and you always flip the top face-down card of that pile and move it face-up to its rank pile.
- If you flip a card whose target pile already has face-up cards, place the card on top of that face-up stack. If you need to flip from an empty pile and have no card to turn, the usual rule is that the chain stops and the game ends; different versions treat this differently, so check your rules.
How a round or game ends
A round typically ends when you can’t continue the flipping chain. You win in the common version if every card is face-up and on its correct pile when flipping finishes. You lose if a required flip is impossible before all cards are revealed. Exact win/loss conditions and any scoring are version-dependent, so check the authoritative rules used by your group.
Beginner tips
- Keep piles neat so you always flip the true top card.
- Use the common Ace=1, Jack=11, Queen=12, King=center mapping unless your local rule says otherwise.
- If you want more practice, play several rounds quickly — the layout is fast to reset.
- Treat different starting piles as house rules; if a version is hard to win, try the other start point to see how it changes the puzzle.
- Remember: Clock is mostly about luck in the deal, but tidy play reduces mistakes.
FAQ
Do I need a special deck?
No. Clock uses a normal 52-card deck. No special cards are required.
Where should I start flipping?
Many people start at the centre (the King pile), but some start at 1 o’clock. Both are common — check the version your group prefers.
What if a pile runs out of cards?
If a pile is empty when you need to flip from it, most versions say the chain stops and the round ends. Exact treatment can vary, so check the authoritative rules for the precise version you want to play.