Help Index
Forty Thieves Index

How To Play

OverView

Playing the Game

Rules of the Game

Scoring

Hints

Commands

Menu

Keyboard

Information

Background

Registration Information

Venom Software


OverView

Forty Thieves is a solitaire card game.  It is a two deck game.  Forty cards

are dealt face-up to the tableau.  The remaining cards form the stock, from

which cards can be dealt to a waste pile.  The top card of the waste pile is

then available for use.  The goal of the game is to build all the cards up into

eight goal piles, starting at the Ace and building up in sequence for each suit.

Cards on the tableau may be built down in sequence with cards of the same suit.

Forty Thieves is also known as Big Forty, Napoleon at St Helena,

and Le Cadran (The Dial).


Playing the Game

To start a new game select New Game from the Game menu or use Ctrl-N.

To restart the game in progress, select Restart Game from the Game menu

or use Ctrl-R.

To undo your last move (only one move can be undone), use Ctrl-Z or

select Undo from the Options menu.

A card may be picked up by pressing the left mouse button when over it,

holding the button down allows you to move the card.  Releasing the left

button releases the card.  Only one card can be moved at a time.

You can look at a partially obscured card by holding the right mouse

button down while over the card.  This will bring the card to the top, when

the button is released, the card will resume its previous position.

If you double-click on a card, it will go to a goal pile if possible.  If the card

cannot be moved to a goal pile, it will go to the first available spot for it

(except an empty column) in the tableau.

A mouse click on the deck will deal the next card to the top of the waste pile.

The number above the deck indicates the number of cards remaining in it.


Rules of the Game

You may only move one card at a time.

Cards may only be moved onto cards of the same suit, or an empty column.

Cards must be placed in sequence, up starting from Aces for the goal piles,

down for the tableau.

Only the top card of the waste pile may be used.


Scoring

Aces are worth 5 points when placed on a goal pile, all other cards are

worth 10 points.  This gives a total of 1000 points for a win.  The current

score is shown below the goal piles.  You can see your statistics,

(average score, percent won) by choosing Statistics from the Options menu.


Hints

You need to clear out a column on the tableau as soon as possible.  This is often

rather difficult in itself, its best to pick a column  that looks easy to clear (low cards,

or only a few cards remaining in it) and keep it in mind while playing.  It is often

worthwhile to skip a card in the wastepile that could have been played to save

a spot for a card from your chosen row.

Once you have a free column, dont give it up.  You can use the free row as a

temporary spot to allow you to move multiple cards around and to help free up

buried cards.  Dont take any action that wont leave you with a free row when

youre done.

When you get more columns emptied out, you can move large stacks of cards in

an action similar to the Tower of Hanoi movements.  Again, you should think

ahead to verify you will be able to move all the cards you want, since there is only

one move of undo allowed.


Menu Commands

Game Menu

New Game

Restart Game

Exit

Options

Undo   (only 1 move can be undone)

Statistics


Keyboard Commands

Ctrl-N - Start a new game.

Ctrl-R - Restart the current game.

Ctrl-Z - Undo the last move.


BackGround

This game uses the CARDS.DLL dynamic load library that comes with

some games from Microsoft.  It is written in C using Borland C++ 4.0, a

very nice package.  Thanks go to Heath Hunnicutt

(heathh@cco.caltech.edu) for taking the time to reverse-engineer

CARDS.DLL and making the information available to the InterNet.

This is our first Windows game, your donation / registration fee will entice

us to produce more software, and of higher quality.   Of course, everything

you see here is for sale, contact Venom Software for source code prices.


Registration Information

This game is shareware.  We would appreciate $10 US if you decide to

keep this game.  This is only a suggestion, if you dont feel its worth that,

(or if you feel its worth more), send what you think its worth to you.  Foreign

funds are okay as well as checks drawn on foreign banks.

There is a registration form you can print out in the file REGISTER.TXT

included with this package.  This game is not crippled, all you get by

registering is that warm fuzzy feeling from knowing you did The Right Thing.

If you supply contact information, you may also be notified of new releases

of  Venom Software products.

Make checks out to Venom Software, please include an e-mail address

if you have one, and send to:

Venom Software

33 University Square - Suite 252

Madison, WI	53715


Venom Software

Venom Software is a small company committed to providing fully

operational shareware.

Venom Software is also available for contract programming and consulting.

Venom Software

33 University Square - Suite 252

Madison, WI	53715

Phone:  (608) 259-0515

(608) 259-8283

Shawn Flisakowski	flisakow@cae.wisc.edu

Soma DasGupta	soma@cae.wisc.edu