Mahjong Solitaire logo

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.

Understanding the Tiles

Mahjong Solitaire uses traditional Chinese mahjong tiles. Each tile has its own symbol and appears in the game 4 times (except flowers).

Characters (Wan)

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

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Bamboos (Tiao)

Bamboo pattern tiles from 1 to 9

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Wheels (Tong)

Circle pattern tiles from 1 to 9

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Winds

Four direction tiles

East
South
West
North

Dragons

Three special honor tiles

Red
Green
White

Flowers

Seasonal and flower tiles (optional)

Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Basic Rules

1

Match Identical Tiles

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

2

Free Tiles Only

You can only select tiles that are "free" - not blocked on the left or right side and not covered by other tiles.

3

Clear All Tiles

The goal is to remove all tiles from the board. If no moves are available, you may need to shuffle or restart.

Popular Layouts

Different tile arrangements provide varying levels of difficulty and strategic challenges.

Turtle layout preview
1

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 layout preview
2

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 layout preview
3

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 layout preview
4

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 layout preview
5

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 layout preview
6

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

  • 💡Start by eliminating tiles from upper layers first
  • 💡Look for obvious matches before planning complex moves
  • 💡Plan several moves ahead when possible
  • 💡Save shuffle options for when you're truly stuck
  • 💡Focus on removing tiles that block many others