Set a color scheme, then protect its next ranks.
Colours has six waste piles and foundations with fixed base ranks 2, 3, 4, and 5. The first foundation card chooses which color occupies the 2 and 4 lanes; the 3 and 5 lanes must use the opposite color.
Last updated: September 2026
The first card sets colors, not ranks
A red 2 starting the 2 foundation makes the 4 foundation red and the 3 and 5 foundations black. A black 3 starting the 3 foundation has the same effect: 2 and 4 are red, while 3 and 5 are black. The foundation base ranks never change, and suits within a chosen color may mix.
Each lane builds one rank upward at a time with King-to-Ace wrap. A red 3 can follow a red 2 regardless of whether the two cards are Hearts or Diamonds. The four lanes may progress at different speeds; sharing a color does not force their top ranks to match.
Keep both color routes exposed
When a red foundation needs 7, any red 7 can advance it. That gives more flexibility than the fixed-suit lanes of Lady Betty, but the chosen color scheme prevents a black 7 from substituting. Before placing a stock card in one of the six waste piles, check whether it will cover a card that matches a foundation's next color and rank.
The stock makes one pass. After it empties, only exposed waste tops can advance the foundations. A low card buried under a card needed later may block a lane even when the correct color and rank are present in the game.