Solitaire Crime Stories is a TriPeaks Solitaire game with a murder mystery theme. Journalist Lana Whitt dreams of becoming the next investigative journalist in her hometown of Springdale. The player must help Lana solve a case that involves the death of local detective John Reed.
Lana can't proceed with her investigation without the player earning gold stars that make it possible for her to complete basic tasks, talk to other characters, visit the crime scene and other locales, and perform other actions. The player earns these stars by meeting high-low, next-card requirements.�
The player receives a face-up card to start next to the deck draw pile. They must pick a face-up card from the central playfield that is valued one more or less per standard Solitaire ascending and descending order rules (i.e., A, 2, 3... or K, Q, J...). They can also perform a wraparound maneuver (i.e., A, K, Q... or K, A, 2...). If the field doesn't contain a match, they must draw from the face-down layered deck cards.
Solitaire Crime Stories rewards the player with coins they can use to win future card games. They earn money for every card they don't use from the deck. They also earn coins when they watch videos. The game gives the player special booster cards to help them as well. They can purchase boosters with their coins or receive gifts and activate boosters during specific card games.�
The player also receives these cards when they perform a streak in which they remove cards from the field without pulling from the deck. For example, a Joker can represent any card at any time. A rocket ship randomly removes cards from the field. A shield temporarily stops the combo streak counter from resetting during a disruption.