What is Gargantua?
Gargantua is a two-deck Klondike variant — essentially Klondike doubled in almost every dimension. Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards) are used, nine tableau columns replace seven, and eight foundations replace four. The stock allows two passes rather than unlimited recycling. The larger deal changes how long it takes to expose hidden cards.
Despite the larger layout, the core mechanics are identical to Klondike: alternating-color sequences build downward, Kings fill empty columns, and foundations build upward by suit from Ace to King. The strategic habits that work in Klondike apply here, but at greater scale and with a limited stock recycle.
Full rules
Two 52-card decks are shuffled together. Nine tableau columns are dealt: column 1 gets one card, column 2 gets two, and so on up to column 9 with nine cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up; all others start face-down.
Tableau sequences build downward in alternating colors. Properly ordered sequences move as units. Only Kings (or King-headed sequences) fill empty columns. Eight foundations (two per suit) build upward from Ace to King. The stock is dealt one card at a time; the waste can be recycled once for a second pass.
The two-pass stock limit
This site’s Klondike allows repeated stock recycling; Gargantua allows only one recycle. After the second pass, covered waste cards may still become accessible if cards above them are played, but the waste cannot be turned over again.
Players who casually cycle the Klondike stock many times looking for opportunities will find Gargantua much less forgiving. Every tableau move that reveals a face-down card during the first stock pass may open a destination for the waste top. Check each visible card before covering it with another draw.
See Emperor strategy for two-deck reveal habits →
Nine columns vs. seven
Two extra columns versus Klondike means more hidden cards at the start (36 face-down versus 21) and more total movement room. The additional columns give more destinations for sequences, but the proportional increase in hidden cards means the early reveal phase is longer and more consequential.
With two copies of every card, the same rank-doubling logic as Emperor applies: if one copy of a needed card is buried, the other may be accessible elsewhere. But this also means each suit has two separate foundations, and both copies of each card must eventually reach one of them.
How Gargantua compares
- Emperor — two-deck, ten columns, unlimited stock recycling
- Napoleon at St Helena — two-deck, ten columns, same-suit build rule, single stock pass
- Miss Milligan — two-deck deal-as-you-go with the Waive
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Gargantua is part of Downtown · Klondike family and is a variant of Klondike.
More Klondike family games
- Klondike — The patience everyone knows. Draw 1 or 3.
- Agnes — Klondike-family with reserve deals and a variable base.
- Easthaven — Klondike that deals rows from the stock.
- Kuiper — Triangular eight-column Klondike variant.
- Las Vegas Solitaire — Draw-one Klondike with a single pass through the stock.
- Nine Across — Nine-column Klondike with picked base rank.
Also try
- Emperor (Forty Thieves & two-deck builders) — Two-deck Forty Thieves relative with waste play.
- Intrigue (Court games) — Eight Queen columns; eight Five-piles built down to the King and eight Six-piles built up to the Jack, regardless of suit.
- Milligan Cell (Miss Milligan & row dealers) — Four free cells add temporary storage to Miss Milligan’s eight columns.
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