Play Mahjong Solitaire Online
Clear the board by tapping two matching free tiles. Every deal is guaranteed to be solvable – and if you get stuck, hint, undo and shuffle have your back.
How it is calculated
How to play mahjong solitaire
Mahjong solitaire is a one-player tile-matching game that uses the tiles of Chinese mahjong. The tiles are stacked in several layers, and your goal is to remove all of them in pairs.
- Find free tiles: a tile is free when no other tile lies on top of it – not even partly – and its left or right side is not touching a neighbour on the same layer. Free tiles are light, blocked tiles are greyed out.
- Pick a pair: tap two free tiles with the same picture. They disappear and uncover new tiles below or beside them.
- Clear the board: once every tile is gone, you have won. The clock starts with your first move.
Which tiles match?
- Circles, bamboo and numbers 1–9: only the same suit with the same value, e.g. circle 3 with circle 3.
- Winds (N, E, S, W with an arrow) and dragons (red diamond, green leaf, white frame): only identical tiles.
- Flowers (a blossom numbered 1–4) match any other flower, seasons (a sun numbered 1–4) match any other season.
A full set has 144 tiles: four of each of 34 designs plus eight bonus tiles (four flowers, four seasons). The turtle uses all 144, the pyramid and mini boards use a random selection of whole pairs.
Why every deal is solvable
If tiles are dealt purely at random, a game can be unwinnable from the start – for example when two matching tiles sit directly on top of each other. This game therefore builds each deal backwards: starting from the full board, it repeatedly takes away two positions that are currently free and puts a matching pair there. Removing the pairs in exactly that order clears the board, so a solution always exists. You can still get stuck with unlucky moves.
Hint, undo and shuffle
- Hint highlights a matching free pair – preferably one that belongs to the known solution.
- Undo takes back moves one at a time, as far as you like.
- Shuffle redistributes the pictures of the remaining tiles so that the position is solvable again. When no move is left, the button is highlighted. After shuffling, earlier moves can no longer be undone.
Tips
- Clear tiles that block others first: tall stacks and the ends of long rows.
- If all four identical tiles are free, take them as two pairs right away. If only three are free, think about which one is covering the fourth.
- Avoid leaving a matching pair stacked on top of each other – you could never free the lower tile.
- On a phone the turtle is very small. Choose “Mini” or “Pyramid” there, or turn the device sideways.
Privacy
Best times per layout and your chosen layout are stored only in your browser's localStorage. Nothing is sent to a server. The deal is shuffled with your browser's cryptography interface.
More games: Tic-tac-toe, Hangman or the Sudoku solver.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play mahjong solitaire?
You remove matching tiles in pairs. Only free tiles may be taken: nothing lies on top of them and their left or right side is open. Clear the whole board to win.
Is every mahjong solitaire game solvable?
Not when tiles are dealt purely at random – two matching tiles stacked on top of each other, for example, can never both be removed. Here every deal is built backwards, so at least one solution always exists.
What are the rules for beginners?
Look for two identical tiles that are both free, tap them and repeat. Flowers match any flower and seasons match any season. Use the hint button whenever you cannot find a pair.
Is there a strategy to mahjong solitaire?
Yes: clear tall stacks and the ends of long rows first because they block the most tiles, take all four identical tiles at once when they are free, and avoid leaving a pair stacked on each other.
What happens when there are no moves left?
Press “Shuffle”: the remaining tiles get new pictures and the position is solvable again. You can also undo moves and try a different route.
Can I play for free without downloading anything?
Yes. The game runs directly in your browser – no account, no app, no download. Your best times stay on your device only.
How many tiles are in mahjong solitaire?
A full set has 144 tiles: 34 designs four times each plus four flowers and four seasons. The turtle layout uses all 144, the pyramid 82 and the mini board 56.
Sources and legal basis
As of:
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