How to Play Dress Parade
Dress Parade is a quiet but tricky patience in the Forty-Thieves family. This page gives a clear, friendly beginner walkthrough so you can try the layout and learn the main choices. For more solitaire guides, visit Playmore.
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Game | Dress Parade |
| Family | European patience (Forty-Thieves family) |
| Players | 1 |
| Deck | 2 standard 52-card French-suited decks (shuffled together) |
| Difficulty | Hard — good for patient beginners |
| Focus | Same-suit sequences built to multiple foundations |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is simple to say and tricky to finish: move every card onto the foundation piles. Foundations are built by suit in sequence (lower to higher). The tableau is where you rearrange cards to free the right ranks for those foundations. Exact build directions and ranks vary between Forty-Thieves variants, so check the authoritative or local rules for the exact version you want to play.
What you need and how to set up
You need two full, standard 52-card decks shuffled together. The game uses a tableau of several piles, a set of empty foundation slots, and a remaining stock or waste pile. Deal a starting tableau according to the version you choose; different sources use different numbers of piles and different face-up/face-down rules.
Because Dress Parade belongs to a family with regional differences, do not assume the layout here is the one your rule source uses. Check the authoritative rules you prefer for the exact number of tableau piles, which cards are dealt face up or face down, and how the stock is handled.
How to play
- Look for automatic foundations: Move any base cards to the foundation slots as allowed by your chosen rules (many versions start foundations on Aces or another low rank).
- Expose and free cards: Turn over face-down tableau cards when a pile’s top card is removed, if your version uses face-down cards. The main work is uncovering cards you need for foundations.
- Build in the tableau: Most Forty-Thieves-style games let you build down by suit in the tableau so same-suit runs can be formed. Use these runs to unearth and transport cards toward the foundations. Whether you may move partial sequences or only single cards depends on the variant—check your rules.
- Use the stock or waste: When no useful moves are available, deal from the stock according to your version’s rule (single-card deals, batches, or a limited redeal may be used). New cards can create fresh moves to both tableau and foundations.
- Keep cycling and choosing: Alternate moving cards to foundations, reorganizing the tableau, and dealing from the stock. Prioritize moves that free buried cards you need on the foundations.
How a round or game ends
You win when all cards are placed on the foundations in the required sequences. You lose when you have no legal moves left and the stock (or allowed redeals) are exhausted. Exact end conditions and any scoring or redeal rules vary by source, so check the version you’re using for those details.
Beginner tips
- Focus on freeing the lowest foundation starters (often Aces). Early foundation moves unblock many later plays.
- Build same-suit runs thoughtfully. Don’t bury needed cards under long sequences unless you plan to move that whole run.
- Empty tableau spaces are valuable. Use them to relocate sequences or to reveal buried cards.
- Be cautious with stock deals. If your version limits redeals, each deal matters—look for the best immediate gain first.
- Patience pays off. This is a hard patience; many deals are unwinnable. Practice reading the layout and spotting which piles to break first.
FAQ
Is Dress Parade the same as Forty Thieves?
It’s a close relative. Dress Parade is a Forty-Thieves family layout that stresses same-suit sequencing and multiple foundations. Rules and setup can differ, so treat it as a related but distinct variant.
Can I move whole sequences in the tableau?
That depends on the version. Some variants allow moving same-suit sequences as a block; others let you move only the top card. Check the rules you’re following before assuming sequence moves are allowed.
Do I need any special cards or buys?
No. Use two standard 52-card decks shuffled together. You don’t need a special deck or components.