How to play mahjong solitaire: rules, tiles and strategy

How to play mahjong solitaire: the short answer

Here is how to play mahjong solitaire: pick two matching tiles that are both free, and they leave the board. A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and its left or right side is open. Keep removing pairs until the board is empty and you win. If no free pair is left, you are stuck.

That is all there is to the rules. The skill is in choosing which pair to take, because every pair you remove opens some tiles and leaves others locked. This guide explains exactly what makes a tile free, which tiles match, and the strategy that clears more boards. You can try each idea in our free mahjong solitaire game as you read.

Mahjong solitaire is a one-player matching puzzle. It uses the same tiles as mahjong, the four-player game from China, but the rules have nothing in common.

What makes a tile free

This is the rule that trips up most new players. A tile is free when both of these are true.

Nothing lies on top of it

Tiles are stacked in layers. If any tile on the layer above covers it, even partly, the tile is blocked. A tile on the very top of a stack is never covered.

Its left or right side is open

Look along the same layer. If there is a tile touching it on the left and a tile touching it on the right, it is blocked. If at least one side is empty, it can slide out. Tiles above or below it in the same layer (towards the top or bottom of your screen) do not matter.

Three quick examples

• A tile at the end of a row, with nothing on top: free.
• A tile in the middle of a row, with neighbours on both sides: blocked, even with nothing on top.
• A tile at the end of a row but with a tile resting on it: blocked until the top tile is gone.

In our game, blocked tiles look slightly darker. If you tap one, it gives a little shake and the game tells you it is not free.

The tiles and which ones match

A full set has 144 tiles in five groups.

Group	Tiles	Copies	Total
Dots (circles)	1 to 9	4 of each	36
Bamboo	1 to 9	4 of each	36
Characters	1 to 9	4 of each	36
Winds	East, South, West, North	4 of each	16
Dragons	Red, green, white	4 of each	12
Flowers	Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo	1 of each	4
Seasons	Spring, summer, autumn, winter	1 of each	4

The matching rule is simple:

• Suit tiles, winds and dragons match only an identical tile. A 3 of bamboo matches another 3 of bamboo, not a 3 of dots. A red dragon matches a red dragon.
• Any flower matches any other flower. Plum goes with orchid, chrysanthemum or the bamboo flower.
• Any season matches any other season. Spring goes with summer, autumn or winter.
• A flower never matches a season.

The classic 144-tile layout uses the whole set. Smaller layouts use fewer tiles, but always in matching pairs, and they still mix dots, bamboo and characters so you see every suit.

Your first game, step by step

1. Scan for free tiles. Start with the tops of the stacks and the ends of the rows.
2. Tap one free tile. It lights up as selected.
3. Tap a matching free tile. Both tiles leave the board. Tap the first tile again if you change your mind.
4. Check the pairs counter. Our game shows how many free pairs are on the board right now. When it drops to one or two, slow down.
5. Use the tools when you need them. Hint shows a free pair. Undo takes back the last pair. Shuffle re-deals the tiles that are left.

Classic and free rules

Our game has two rule settings. In Classic, picking two free tiles that do not match counts as a mistake, and three mistakes end the game, as in many popular mobile versions. Tapping a blocked tile is not a mistake. In Free, you can make as many wrong picks as you like. Choose Free while you learn.

Every deal can be won

Each deal here is built from a real winning order before you see it, so a full solution always exists. But that does not mean every move is safe: take pairs in the wrong order and you can still lock yourself out. If you run out of pairs, Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles in an order that can still be cleared.

Mahjong solitaire strategy

Clearing a board by picking any pair you see works on small layouts. On the classic turtle, it usually leaves you stuck near the end. These habits change that.

1. Clear the tops of stacks first

A tile high on a stack can cover four tiles below it. Removing it opens a lot at once. On the classic layout, the single tile on the peak covers four others. Get the high layers down early.

2. Unlock long rows from the ends

A long row only opens from its ends, one tile at a time. The longer the row, the more tiles are trapped behind the end tile. When you have a choice, take the pair that shortens the longest rows. On the turtle, watch the lone tiles stuck onto the left and right ends: each one blocks two whole rows.

3. Don’t take a pair that blocks its partners

Before you remove a pair, look for the other two copies of that tile. If both are buried under the same stack, or one sits on top of another, think twice. You may need the free copies you are about to use to dig those out later.

4. When three copies are free, choose carefully

If three copies of a tile are free, only two can go. Remove the two that unblock the most tiles, and keep the third for later. If all four copies are free, take both pairs straight away: nothing can go wrong.

5. Watch for stacked copies

When two copies of the same tile sit directly on top of each other, you can never match them with each other. The bottom one stays locked until the top one leaves, so you need one of the other two copies to remove the top one. Plan for it early.

6. Prefer pairs that open new tiles

If a pair opens nothing new, it can usually wait. A move that frees two or three new tiles gives you more choices next turn, and more choices is what keeps a game alive.

7. Save Hint and Shuffle for real need

Hint only shows you one free pair, not the best one. Look for yourself first. Shuffle helps when you are stuck, but a careful game rarely needs it.

The layouts you can play here

Each layout plays by the same rules, but its shape changes where the hard spots are.

• Classic and Compact. The main Mahjong Solitaire page has the traditional 144-tile turtle in five layers, and a 72-tile Compact board with bigger tiles for phones held upright.
• Dragon. Mahjong Dragon is a long, wide layout of 108 tiles in three layers. Its long rows reward working from the ends.
• Pyramid. Mahjong Pyramid stacks 120 tiles in four layers. Dig down from the peak, as tip 1 says.
• Butterfly. Mahjong Butterfly spreads 104 tiles into two wings around a raised body.
• Fortress. Mahjong Fortress has walls, four corner towers and a central keep, 104 tiles in all. The towers are tall stacks, so clear them early.
• Big tiles. Big Tiles Mahjong uses 56 large, clear tiles on two layers, made for easy reading.
• Daily. Daily Mahjong gives everyone the same deal each day, so you can compare times with friends.

Mahjong Connect is a different game with the same tiles. Every tile is in one flat layer, and two matching tiles can be removed if you can join them with a line that turns at most twice and passes only through empty spaces. The line may also run round the outside of the board.

Common mistakes

• Taking the first pair you see. Look at what each pair opens before you choose.
• Forgetting the side rule. A tile with nothing on top can still be blocked by neighbours on both sides.
• Matching flowers with seasons. Flowers go with flowers, seasons with seasons.
• Leaving the tall stacks until last. The highest tiles block the most, so they should go first.

If you enjoy calm one-player card and tile games, our guides on how to play solitaire and how to play FreeCell use the same habit of planning a few moves ahead.

FAQ

What are the rules of mahjong solitaire?

Remove matching pairs of free tiles until the board is empty. A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and at least one of its left or right sides is open. Identical tiles match, any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season.

What makes a tile free in mahjong solitaire?

Two things: nothing covers it from the layer above, and it has no neighbour on at least one side, left or right. Tiles above or below it on screen do not block it.

Do all the flower tiles match each other?

Yes. The four flowers have different pictures, but any flower can be paired with any other flower. The four seasons work the same way. A flower and a season never match.

Can every game of mahjong solitaire be won?

Every deal in our game is built from a real winning order, so a solution always exists. You can still get stuck by taking pairs in the wrong order. Undo or Shuffle will get you going again.

Is mahjong solitaire the same as mahjong?

No. Mahjong is a four-player game about building winning hands. Mahjong solitaire uses the same tiles for a one-player matching puzzle. Ready for a round? Play mahjong solitaire free and start with the Compact board.