Variant strategy

Colours is decided by the first card you place on a foundation.

Before you put that first card down, consider what colour pairing it will create. The 2+4 pair and the 3+5 pair are locked immediately, so a poor early choice can force you to struggle through the whole deal.

Play Colours Read general strategy

Core Colours tips

The first card placed on any foundation locks the colour pairing for all four — choose carefully which foundation to start first.
Track both colours simultaneously; foundations for ranks 2 and 4 share one colour, while 3 and 5 share the other.
The wrap from King to Ace is crucial: don't abandon Kings to a deep waste pile early.
With six waste piles you have more parking space than Sir Tommy — use that flexibility to hold awkward ranks you need later.
When a waste top could go to a foundation, check whether moving it uncovers something even more useful first.

The wraparound advantage

Unlike most foundation games, Colours wraps from King to Ace. That means Kings are not terminal — plan builds that pass through the King and keep going.

Common mistake

The classic mistake is starting a foundation on the first eligible card without considering whether its colour pairing will leave the other two foundations starved for the correct colour.

Pair this with

Colours vs Lady Betty

Lady Betty uses the same structure but builds by suit rather than colour. Colours is harder to analyse at a glance because colour propagates across paired foundations, while Lady Betty lets each foundation develop independently.