Mahjong Solitaire

How to play mahjong solitaire online

1. Choose a layout in the Layout select. Small has 36 tiles, and Turtle is the full 144-tile board.
2. Click New game to get a fresh deal. Changing the layout also starts a new deal.
3. Click or tap a free tile. It turns yellow with an orange outline, which means it is selected.
4. Click or tap a second free tile with the same face. Both tiles are removed.
5. To cancel a selection, tap the selected tile again.
6. Keep an eye on the chips: Time, Tiles left, Free pairs, and Shuffles used.
7. Click Hint to highlight two free matching tiles for 4 seconds.
8. Click Undo to step back one pair or one shuffle at a time.
9. When the board stops, click Shuffle. It re-deals the tiles that are left into the same positions.
10. Remove every tile to win. The “Board cleared!” dialog shows your time.

Keyboard players can press Tab to reach the board, then use the arrow keys to move the blue focus ring between free tiles. Press Enter or Space to select. The letter keys H, U, S, N and F run Hint, Undo, Shuffle, New game and Fullscreen, and Esc closes a dialog. The page address holds the deal’s seed and layout (for example ?seed=123456&layout=turtle), so sending that address to someone gives them the same deal.

Mahjong solitaire rules

Two tiles match when they show the same face. There are two exceptions: any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season. Flowers never match seasons. Winds match only their own wind, so East matches only East, and each of the three dragons matches only its own kind.

The full set has 144 tiles and 42 different faces. Dots, bamboo and characters numbered 1 to 9 have four copies each, which makes 108 tiles. Winds add 16 tiles and dragons add 12. The four flowers and four seasons have one copy each. Smaller layouts use a random selection of complete pairs, so every tile can still be removed.

A tile is free when two conditions hold. First, no tile lies on top of it, even partly. A tile on a higher layer that is less than one full tile away in both directions covers it, so a half-offset tile can cover two tiles. Second, its left side or its right side is open, meaning no tile sits directly beside it on that side on the same layer. A tile half a row higher or lower beside it also blocks that side. In the Small layout, the centre tile under the second layer is not free because it is covered. The second tile in the top row is not free because tiles block both its sides. The corner tile of the top row is free.

Mahjong solitaire rules of play

You select one free tile, then select a second free tile that matches. If the second tile does not match, the selection moves to it and the status line says the two tiles do not match. If you tap a blocked tile, it shakes and the status line explains why, either because another tile is on top of it or because it is blocked on both sides.

The Free pairs chip counts the matching pairs among free tiles right now. If three free copies of one face are on the board, that counts as three pairs. The timer starts at your first click, tap or hint. It pauses when the browser tab is hidden and stops when you win.

You win when no tiles are left. If tiles remain but no two free tiles match, the “No more moves” dialog appears with Shuffle, Undo and New game. As a worked example, the Turtle deal #12345 starts with 35 free tiles and 26 free matching pairs, with all 144 tiles still on the board. Replaying its 72 pairs in the generator’s order clears the board.

Mahjong solitaire tips and strategies

Before each move, look at which tiles are covering others. Removing a tile that sits on top of several others opens up more free tiles, so it is usually a better choice than a pair buried deep in the stack. The Hint button also picks a pair on the highest layers, which is a reasonable place to look when you are unsure.

Use Undo freely to test an idea. It is unlimited and goes back step by step to the start of the deal. Shuffle is the answer to a stuck board with at least four tiles left. It keeps every tile in its position and always leaves a solvable arrangement, but each use is counted in Shuffles used. Your best time counts any win, including wins with hints or shuffles, so a fast win with help still sets the record.

On a phone, the Small or Medium layout gives larger tiles. Turtle at 375 px wide shows tiles only about 20 px across, while Medium shows them at about 41 px.

What is the purpose of mahjong solitaire?

The purpose is to clear the whole board by matching pairs of free tiles. It is a puzzle for one player, and the challenge is working out the order of removals so that the tiles beneath become free. Because the game shows no score points, the goal is to finish as quickly as you can.

Each layout keeps its own best time in your browser. The game teaches you to spot which tiles are free, to plan several moves ahead, and to decide when a shuffle or an undo is the better option.

Frequently asked questions

Is mahjong solitaire free, and do I need to sign up?

Yes, mahjong solitaire here is free, and there is nothing to sign up for or install. A deal is ready when the page opens, and progress is stored only in your browser.

Can I play mahjong solitaire on a phone?

Yes. Tapping works the same way as clicking. Tiles shrink to fit the screen, so the Small or Medium layout is easier to play on a phone than Turtle.

Is my game saved?

Yes. The game in progress is saved after every move, hint, shuffle and undo. If you reload the page, it restores your game and shows “Welcome back. Your game was restored.” Your best time for each layout is saved too.

Can I undo a move or a shuffle?

Yes. Undo is unlimited and steps back through every pair you removed and every shuffle you used. The Undo button is disabled when there is nothing to undo.

Is every mahjong deal solvable?

Yes. Each new deal is built in reverse, so replaying its order always clears the board. Your own moves can take you away from that order, which is why the Shuffle button exists.

Do hints affect my time?

No. A hint adds no time penalty: it highlights two free matching tiles for 4 seconds, and hints are unlimited. The number of hints you used appears in the win dialog, and a win that used hints still counts for your best time.

Can I share a deal with someone else?

Yes. The page address includes the seed and layout, such as ?seed=123456&layout=turtle. Anyone who opens that address gets the same deal.

More games

• Tile Match: pick matching tiles into a tray of seven slots until the board is clear.
• TriPeaks Solitaire: a card solitaire where you clear three peaks one rank up or down.
• Pyramid Solitaire: remove pairs of cards that add up to 13 from a pyramid of cards.
• Memory Game: turn over cards two at a time and remember where each pair is.
• Water Sort Puzzle: pour colours between tubes until each tube holds one colour.
• Klotski: slide blocks around a tray until the big square can leave.
• 15 Puzzle: slide numbered tiles back into order.