Pyramid Variants
Giza replaces stock and waste with eight open reserve columns, making the whole round a visibility puzzle.
Select available cards that total 13 to clear the layout.
Waste
Reserve 1
Reserve 2
Reserve 3
Reserve 4
Reserve 5
Reserve 6
Reserve 7
Reserve 8
Giza Solitaire takes the Pyramid pairing mechanic and expands it to three side-by-side pyramids, referencing the three great pyramids of the Giza plateau. The same pairing rule applies — remove pairs totaling 13, Kings alone — but the layout is entirely open: there is no stock, no waste pile. All cards are dealt face-up at the start, either in the three pyramids or in open reserve columns flanking them. Every card is visible from move one.
Three pyramids are laid out side by side, each with the standard seven-row blocked structure (a card blocked until both cards overlapping it are removed). Reserve columns hold the remaining cards face-up — all visible and all immediately available to pair with any exposed pyramid card.
Because there is no stock, every pairing decision is made with complete information. The game ends when either all cards are removed (win) or no valid pair remains (loss).
Standard Pyramid uses hidden stock cards and a single waste pile, introducing uncertainty about future pairing opportunities. Giza removes that uncertainty entirely: every available partner is visible in the reserve columns from the start. This makes Giza a pure combinatorial puzzle — the challenge is sequencing the removals correctly, not managing hidden information.
The three-pyramid structure also adds cross-pyramid access decisions. A reserve card can pair with exposed cards from any of the three pyramids. Choosing which pyramid to advance first — and using reserve cards to unlock upper rows across all three — is the primary strategic dimension.