How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
You clear a stack of tiles by removing matching pairs. That's the whole game, and you can learn it in two minutes. The depth comes from one rule about which tiles you're allowed to take.
Play Mahjong SolitaireThe Goal
Remove every tile from the board, two at a time. Click a tile, then click its match, and both disappear. A full game has 144 tiles, so 72 pairs, though smaller boards take less.
The One Rule: Tiles Must Be Free
You can only take a tile if it's free. Two things have to be true:
- Nothing is on top of it. Even a tile covering just half of it blocks it.
- Its left or right side is open. One open side is enough. A tile with neighbors on both sides can't slide out.
Above and below don't count. A tile with neighbors above and below it on the same layer is still free if one side is open. In a long row, only the two end tiles are free, and the row opens up as you take from its ends.
Free tiles look brighter on this site, except on Expert. Click a blocked tile and it gives a small shake.
What Matches What
Most tiles need an exact twin. Two match, but a doesn't match a .
There are two exceptions. Any flower matches any flower, like and . Any season matches any season, like and . A flower never matches a season.
Every tile is shown in the tile guide.
Your First Game, Step by Step
- Look at the top of the stack and the ends of the rows. Those are your free tiles.
- Find two free tiles that match, and click both.
- See what opened up. Removing a tile can free the one under it and the one beside it.
- Repeat. The "Free matches" count above the board tells you how many pairs are available.
- Stuck? Press Hint to see a legal pair, Undo to take moves back, or Shuffle to rearrange the remaining tiles.
If this is your first time, start with Easy Mahjong. It uses a small board and forgiving deals.
Why You Can Get Stuck
Each face usually has four copies. If you pair the wrong two, the last two might be stacked so one holds the other down. Neither can ever be free, and that game is lost, though it might take a while to find out.
You also run out of moves when no two free tiles match. Both can happen even on a board that can be won, because with Winnable Mode on (the default) every deal has a winning order, but you have to find it. The strategy guide shows how to avoid these dead ends.
Common Questions
Is Mahjong Solitaire the same as mahjong?
No. They share the tiles and little else. Mahjong is a four-player game of building winning hands, a bit like rummy. Mahjong Solitaire is a one-player matching puzzle, and you don't need to know anything about the other game.
Do I need to read the Chinese characters?
No. You only have to spot two tiles that look the same. On this site, most tiles also have a small number or letter in the corner.
Does it matter which of the matching tiles I remove?
Yes, once three or more copies are free. The pair you choose decides which tiles open up next. That choice is the heart of the game.