Mahjong Solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire is a one-player matching game played with a full 144-tile set. The tiles are piled into a layered shape, and you take them off two at a time by pairing identical faces. The catch is that only uncovered tiles with an open side can be picked.
There is no rush, though a quick finish does earn bonus points. Every deal is set up so that at least one full clear exists. It runs in a regular browser tab, and it plays best on a wider screen.
How to play Mahjong Solitaire
Choose one of six layouts: Turtle, Terraces, Butterfly, Fortress, Pyramid or Spider. A tile is free when no tile rests on it and either its left or right edge is open. Locked tiles appear dimmed. Click one free tile, then a free tile with the same face, and both disappear.
Besides three numbered suits, the set includes wind and dragon tiles plus four flower tiles and four season tiles. Flowers pair with any other flower, and seasons pair with any other season.
Each pair scores 100 points, with a small bonus for quick follow-ups. Using a hint costs 30, an undo 120 and a shuffle 150. Run out of free pairs and you are prompted to reshuffle, which rearranges what is left into a layout that can still be cleared.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select a tile, then its match | Tab into the board, arrows to move, Enter or Space to choose | Click a free tile, then its partner | Tap a free tile, then its partner |
| Drop the selected tile | Esc | Click it again | — |
| Show a hint | H | Click Hint | — |
| Undo the last pair | Z | Click Undo | — |
| Shuffle remaining tiles | S | Click Shuffle | — |
| New deal | N | Click New game | — |
Tips
- Clear long rows from their ends inward. A tile in the center of a line cannot move until one of its neighbors is gone.
- Take pairs that uncover the tall stacks first. A tile buried under several layers can block a lot of the board.
- When three copies of one face are free, think about which two to take. Pick the pair that unlocks more tiles below or beside them.
- Hold back flowers and seasons. Since any two of a kind match, they are handy rescue moves late in the game.
- New to it? Terraces opens with the most available pairs and is the friendliest board to learn on.
If you like Mahjong Solitaire, try these
Memory PairsMatching pairs is the shared core, but here the pictures hide face down so memory replaces scanning the stack.
Pyramid SolitaireFreeing pieces from a layered shape returns with playing cards, pairing open ones that total 13 to clear the pyramid.
Questions
Can every Mahjong Solitaire deal be cleared?
Yes. Each deal is built so at least one full solution exists, and shuffles also rearrange the remaining tiles into a winnable layout. You can still get stuck by choosing pairs in a bad order.
Does Mahjong Solitaire save my best time?
Yes. Your best time for each layout is stored in your browser. After clearing a board you can replay the same deal or start a fresh one.
Can I play Mahjong Solitaire on a phone?
You can tap tiles to match them, but the board is wide, so small phone screens feel cramped. A tablet, laptop or a phone turned sideways works better.
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