Mahjong Connect: link the matching tiles

Mahjong Connect: find the path, clear the board

Mahjong Connect is a tile-matching puzzle played with mahjong tiles laid out flat in a grid. Your goal is to remove every tile. You can take two identical tiles when they can be joined by a line that travels only through empty space and turns no more than twice. When you find a pair, a golden line flashes between the two tiles and they disappear.

It is a relaxed game that still keeps your eyes busy: you are not just looking for matching pictures, you are also checking whether a path exists between them. The version on this page uses real mahjong tile designs on a traditional patterned table, works on computers, tablets and phones, and can be played in full screen.

How to play Mahjong Connect

1. Pick a tile. Tap any tile, or press on it and drag it to its partner.
2. Pick its match. Tap an identical tile. Flowers match any flower and seasons match any season.
3. Check the path. The two tiles are removed if a line can join them through empty spaces using at most three straight parts, that is, with no more than two turns. The line may go outside the grid and round its edge.
4. Clear the board. Keep matching until every tile is gone. If no pair can be joined, press Shuffle to rearrange the remaining tiles.

Hint shows a pair that can be joined, and Undo puts your last pair back.

Understanding the two-turn rule

The rule sounds tricky, but it is easy once you see it:

• Straight line: two tiles in the same row or column with only empty space between them can be joined.
• One turn: the line goes along a row, turns once, and goes along a column to the other tile, like an L.
• Two turns: the line goes out, turns, travels, and turns again, like a U or a Z. This is how tiles on the same edge join round the outside of the board.

Tiles that need three or more turns to reach each other cannot be matched yet. Clear some other tiles to open a shorter path.

Strategy tips

Start at the edges. Tiles on the outer ring can reach round the outside of the grid, so almost any two matching edge tiles on the same side can be joined. Clearing the edges also opens paths for the tiles behind them.

Make lanes. An empty row or column works like a road across the board. Once you open one, tiles on either side of it can often be joined with a single turn.

Don’t break up your reserves. If all four copies of a tile are easy to reach, take one pair and leave the other pair for later. Pairs that are easy now are valuable when the board gets tight.

Use Shuffle calmly. Shuffle keeps the tiles you have left and only moves them. It is part of the game, not a penalty.

Board sizes

• Small: 60 tiles in 6 rows. Quick games and large tiles, good on phones.
• Classic: 96 tiles in 8 rows. The standard game.
• Big: 128 tiles in 8 rows, including flowers and seasons. A longer challenge.

More tile games

Prefer stacked tiles? Play classic Mahjong Solitaire or try new layouts like the Dragon and Butterfly. For a new board every day, play Daily Mahjong. And if you enjoy pairing, Memory Match is a fun test of recall.

How to play Mahjong Connect

1. All tiles lie flat in a grid. Remove them in pairs of identical tiles.
2. Two tiles can be removed when a line joins them through empty spaces with at most two turns (three straight parts).
3. The line may run around the outside of the grid.
4. Any two flowers match, and any two seasons match.
5. Tap one tile and then its partner, or drag one tile onto the other. If no pair can be joined, press Shuffle.

Mahjong Connect tips

Clear the edges first

Tiles on the outer edge can always reach round the outside of the board, so they are the easiest pairs. Clearing them opens paths into the middle.

Open long lanes

An empty row or column is a highway. Once a lane is clear, tiles on both sides of it can be joined with a single turn.

Look for neighbours

Two identical tiles side by side can always be joined. Scan for them before hunting for long paths.

Frequently asked questions