Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching puzzle game that uses a set of 144 mahjong tiles stacked in various formations. The goal is simple: remove all tiles from the board by finding and matching pairs of identical free tiles.
Basic Rules
Matching pairs: Click or tap two identical tiles to remove them from the board. Tiles must have the same suit and rank to match.
Free tiles: A tile is "free" only if it has no other tile on top of it AND at least one side (left or right) is unblocked.
Special tiles: Flower tiles (Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo) match with any other Flower. Season tiles (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) match with any other Season.
Win condition: Clear all 144 tiles from the board to win.
Stuck: If no valid matches remain among free tiles, use Shuffle to rearrange them.
Strategy Tips
Plan ahead: Before matching, check if removing those tiles will free up tiles beneath them.
Work from the top: Focus on higher layers first to expose more options below.
Stay balanced: Remove tiles evenly from both sides to avoid dead ends.
Build chains: Consecutive matches without hints earn a score multiplier.
Watch for quads: When you see four identical tiles, think carefully about which pair to match first.
Scoring
Each match earns base points (10 for suited tiles, 15 for Winds, 20 for Dragons, 25 for Flowers/Seasons). Consecutive matches without hints build a chain multiplier. A time bonus is awarded upon completion. High scores are saved locally per layout.
About the Layouts
Turtle: The iconic original layout. Four layers with a wide body, head, and tail. Medium difficulty.
Pyramid: A stepped pyramid, wide at the base and narrow at the peak. Medium difficulty.
Fortress: Compact and tall with deep stacking. Hard difficulty.
Cross: A cross pattern with minimal stacking. Easy and beginner-friendly.
Butterfly: Wide symmetrical wings. Easy with many accessible tiles.
History
While traditional Mahjong is a multiplayer tile game with centuries of Chinese heritage, Mahjong Solitaire as a digital matching game was first created in 1981 by Brodie Lockard and popularized by the 1986 game "Shanghai" on Macintosh. It has since become one of the most popular casual games worldwide.