How to Play Mahjong Solitaire

Complete Guide to Master the Game

What is Mahjong Solitaire?

Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching game where you eliminate pairs of identical tiles from a complex layout. The objective is simple: clear all tiles from the board by selecting matching pairs that are "free" - meaning they can be moved without disturbing other tiles.

Mahjong Tiles Complete Guide

All Mahjong Tile Types Explained

Mahjong solitaire uses traditional Chinese mahjong tiles. Each tile has a unique symbol and appears four times in the game (except bonus tiles). Learn to understand mahjong tiles and their meanings.

Characters (Wan)

Number tiles from 1 to 9, representing "ten thousand"

Bamboos (Tiao)

Bamboo pattern tiles from 1 to 9

Wheels (Tong)

Circle pattern tiles from 1 to 9

Winds

Four direction tiles

Dragons

Three special honor tiles

Flowers

Seasonal and flower tiles (optional)

Basic Rules

Understanding Mahjong Tile Matching Rules

Match Identical Tiles

Select two tiles with the same symbol to remove them from the board.

Only Free Tiles Can Be Selected

You can only select "free" tiles—tiles that are not blocked by other tiles on either side and are not covered by other tiles.

Clear All Tiles

The goal is to remove all tiles from the board. If you run out of moves, you may need to shuffle or restart.

Popular Layouts

Popular Mahjong Solitaire Layouts

Different tile arrangements offer varying difficulty levels and strategic depth. Explore different mahjong layouts for varying difficulty levels.

Turtle

Beginner

The traditional turtle-shaped layout that resembles a turtle with its head, legs, and shell. This is the most common and recognized layout, perfect for beginners to learn the game.

Features:

✓Symmetrical design

✓Predictable patterns

✓Good for learning basic strategies

✓Widely available

Bridge

Intermediate

A layout with a distinctive bridge-like structure that spans across the board. This arrangement creates interesting choke points that require careful navigation.

Features:

✓Bridge-like structure

✓Multiple choke points

✓Balanced complexity

✓Strategic depth

Butterfly

Intermediate

An elegant butterfly-shaped layout with symmetrical wings. This intermediate layout offers balanced gameplay with beautiful visual symmetry.

Features:

✓Symmetrical wings

✓Central body connection

✓Moderate difficulty

✓Aesthetically pleasing

Arena

Intermediate

A circular arena-like layout with balanced tile distribution. This intermediate arrangement provides symmetrical gameplay with fair strategic challenges.

Features:

✓Circular arena structure

✓Balanced tile distribution

✓Symmetrical gameplay

✓Moderate complexity

Block

Advanced

A solid block-shaped layout with dense tile arrangement. This challenging layout tests your ability to systematically clear through tightly packed tiles.

Features:

✓Dense tile arrangement

✓Systematic clearing required

✓Complex patterns

✓Strategic planning essential

Temple

Advanced

A sacred temple-like layout with symmetrical design and traditional architecture patterns. This advanced layout features multiple layers inspired by ancient temple structures.

Features:

✓Sacred temple structure

✓Symmetrical architecture

✓Multi-layer design

✓Traditional patterns

Quick Tips for Beginners

Essential Mahjong Tips for Beginners

💡Focus on removing upper tiles first
💡Look for obvious pairs before planning complex moves
💡Plan several moves ahead when possible
💡Use shuffle feature only when truly stuck
💡Concentrate on removing tiles that block other tiles