Anno Domini

About Anno Domini

by Thomas Warfield

Screen shot of the game Anno Domini from Pretty Good Solitaire.

Anno Domini is a unique game in that the foundation base cards depend on what year it is. With the new year 2015 it is a slightly different game than it was in 2014.

How to Play

The non-foundation pile parts of the game are standard. There are four tableau piles, which are built down by alternate color and groups of cards in sequence down by alternate color may be moved. At the start of the game one card is dealt to each pile. Spaces can be filled by any card.

The remainder of the cards form a stock, which is turned over one card at a time by clicking. There are two redeals.

Where Anno Domini is different is in the foundation piles. There are four foundation piles, which are built up in suit from the rank of the base card, wrapping from King to Ace as necessary, until each pile contains 13 cards. Each pile is of a different suit.

It is the base cards that get complicated. The base card of each pile is determined by the current year. Each base card is one rank higher than the corresponding digit of the current year, with zeros represented by Tens. So the year 2015 gives the base cards Three, Jack, Two, Six. When all the cards have been played up the foundations, the top cards on each foundation pile will then be a Two, Ten, Ace, and Five, representing the year 2015.

Next year, the last pile base card with change to a Seven, and the last pile will then end in Six.

Variations of Anno Domini