#$+K Cruel Help Index
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The Index lists all Cruel Help topics. 

To learn how to use Help, choose Using Help from the Help menu, or press F1.

How to Play
Overview
Playing the Game
Rules of the Game
Scoring
Strategy and Hints

Commands
Game Menu Commands
Options Menu Commands

#$+KOverview
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Cruel is a solitaire card game.  The playing area is divided into three regions:  four suit stacks located at the top of the playing area, twelve stacks of cards below, and the Deal button located in the upper-right corner of the playing area.  The object of Cruel is to move all the cards from the lower stacks up to the suit stacks.

At the beginning of each game, there are four Aces in the suit stacks, and the remaining 48 cards are randomly distributed in the twelve stacks below, with each stack containing exactly four cards.

You can move the top card in a stack up to the corresponding suit stack, provided it is one higher in rank.  For example, you can move the 5 of Spades from one of the twelve lower stacks onto the 4 of Spades in a suit stack.

You can move the top card in a stack to another stack provided it follows the same suit, and is one lower in rank.  For example, you can move the Jack of Hearts from one stack onto the Queen of Hearts in another.

When you are unable figure out any more moves, you can click the Deal button and re-deal.  Re-dealing simply rearranges the cards in the twelve lower stacks, keeping four cards in each stack without changing the consecutive order of any cards.  For example, if you moved cards from one stack to another so that the 3, 4, and 5 of Diamonds were together, a re-deal would keep this order intact.  If you have not moved any cards since the last deal, clicking the Deal button does nothing.

The game is over when all the cards have been moved up to the suit stacks or when no cards can be moved from the stacks after a re-deal.

Related Topics
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{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Playing the Game
{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Rules of the Game
{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Scoring

#$+KPlaying the Game
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The object of Cruel is to move all the cards in order, from Ace to King, to the corresponding four suit stacks.  The following section explains how to play the game.

To Start a New Game:
{bmc blkarow.bmp}	From the Game menu, choose New, or press F2.
To Move a Card:
1	Point to a card.
2	Drag the card to its new location.
Note:  You can also move a card from one of the stacks below up to a suit stack by double-clicking the card.
To Re-deal the Cards:
{bmc blkarow.bmp}	Click the Deal button.
To Back Up a Move:
{bmc blkarow.bmp}	From the Game menu, choose Backup, or press the BACKSPACE key.
Related Topics
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{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Rules of the Game
{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Overview

#$+K Rules of the Game
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Cruel Rules:

{bmc bull.bmp}	Cruel has two game areas:
{bmc smbull.bmp}	Four suit stacks at the top of the playing area.
{bmc smbull.bmp}	Twelve stacks of four cards each in the playing area below.
{bmc bull.bmp}	The game begins with four Aces faceup in the suit stacks.
{bmc bull.bmp}	You can move a card from the top of a stack to the corresponding suit stack if it is one higher in rank than the top card in the suit stack.  For example, you can move the 2 of Spades onto the Ace of Spades.
{bmc bull.bmp}	You can move a card from one stack to another if the card is the same suit and one lower in rank than the top card of the other stack.  For example, you can move the 10 of Hearts from one stack onto the Jack of Hearts in another.
{bmc bull.bmp}	When you are unable to figure out any more moves, you can click the Deal button and re-deal.  Re-dealing simply rearranges the twelve lower stacks, keeping four cards in each stack without changing the consecutive order of any cards.  For example, if you moved cards from one stack to another so that the 3, 4, and 5 of Diamonds were together, a re-deal would keep this order intact.
{bmc bull.bmp}	If you have not moved any cards since the last deal, re-dealing does not change the stacks.
{bmc bull.bmp}	The game is over when all the cards have been moved up to the suit stacks or when no cards can be moved from the lower stacks after a re-deal.
Related Topics
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{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Playing the Game
{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Strategy and Hints

#$+K Scoring
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Cruel scoring is simple.  Your score is the number of cards remaining in the stacks at the end of the game.

Cruel keeps a record of all previous game scores.  To display the record, choose Record from the Game menu.

#$+K Game Menu Commands
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New
Starts a new game of Cruel.
You can start a new game at any time, even in the middle of a game.
Backup
Backs up one move.
Note:  You can back up only until you reach the last re-deal.
Record
Displays the scores from previous games.
Exit
Exits Cruel.
You can exit at any time, even in the middle of a game.

#$+KOptions Menu Commands
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Deck
Changes the design on your pack of cards.
{bmc blkarow.bmp}	To change the card design, select one of the cards in the Deck dialog box, and then choose OK.
Messages
Displays an error message when you attempt an invalid move.  A check mark beside the command name indicates the command is active.

#$+K How to Play
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This section contains information about how to play Cruel.

Overview
Playing the Game
Rules of the Game
Scoring
Strategy and Hints

#$+KCommands
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This section contains information about the menu commands in Cruel.

Game Menu Commands
Options Menu Commands

#$+K Strategy and Hints
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This section contains helpful hints for playing Cruel successfully.

{bmc bull.bmp}	Move cards to the suit stacks as soon as possible.
{bmc bull.bmp}	When moving cards between stacks, try to move the higher-ranking cards first and work your way down to the lower-ranking cards.
{bmc bull.bmp}	Clicking the Deal button rearranges the twelve stacks, keeping four cards in each stack, but does not change the consecutive order of any cards.  For example, if you moved cards from one stack to another so that the 3, 4, and 5 of Diamonds were together, a re-deal would keep this order intact and make it easier to move these cards up to the suit stacks.
Related Topics
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{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Playing the Game
{bmc blkdiam.bmp}	Rules of the Game

#$KRank

The rank of a card is its listed value.  The rank of the 2 of Spades is two, the rank of the King of Hearts is King.  Here is the order of rank:  Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.