Mahjong solitaire is the relaxing tile-matching puzzle where you clear a stacked layout one pair at a time. Pick two identical free tiles and they disappear, revealing the tiles underneath. Choose a small pyramid for a quick break or the full 144-tile turtle for a longer challenge. Every deal is generated so it can be solved, and it works on desktop, tablet and phone.
How to play
- Click or tap two identical free tiles to remove them.
- A tile is free when nothing lies on top of it and its left or right side is open.
- Any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season.
- Clear every tile to win. Use hint, undo or shuffle when you are stuck.
Controls
- Mouse or touch: click or tap a free tile to select it, then click or tap a matching free tile to remove the pair. Tap a selected tile again to deselect it.
- Keyboard: press H for a hint, Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo and Esc to clear your selection.
- Buttons: Hint highlights a pair you can remove, Shuffle mixes the remaining tiles, and Undo takes back your last move or shuffle.
Tips and strategy
- A tile is free only when nothing lies on top of it and its left or right side is open. Tiles above and at the ends of long rows usually matter most.
- Work on the tallest stacks and the longest rows first. Tiles hidden in the middle of a long row are the ones that most often get trapped.
- When three or four copies of a tile are free, think about which pair to take: removing the wrong two can leave the last copy buried under its own twin.
- Flowers match any flower and seasons match any season, so use them to open up awkward corners.
- If you get stuck, undo a few moves and try a different pair before reaching for the shuffle button.
Game modes and difficulty
Easy uses a small pyramid of 72 tiles, Medium a 108-tile fortress with four layers, and Hard the classic turtle-shaped layout with all 144 tiles. Each layout is dealt by placing pairs in reverse, so a solution always exists. The game tracks your time and keeps a separate best time for every layout.
History and background
Mahjong itself is a four-player game that took shape in China in the 19th century and spread around the world in the early 20th century. A full set has 144 tiles: three suits of dots, bamboo and characters numbered one to nine, plus winds, dragons, flowers and seasons.
The solitaire version uses the same tiles for a completely different puzzle. It appeared on computers in the early 1980s and became one of the most popular casual games of the following decades, with the turtle-shaped layout as its best-known arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
Is every game of Mahjong solitaire solvable here?
Yes. Each deal is built by placing matching pairs in reverse order, so there is always at least one way to clear the board. Careless moves can still lead to a dead end, which is what undo and shuffle are for.
Which tiles match?
Identical tiles match each other. The exceptions are the flowers, which match any other flower, and the seasons, which match any other season.
What happens when there are no more moves?
The game tells you and offers a shuffle. Shuffling mixes the remaining tiles and tries to arrange them so the board can still be cleared. You can also undo instead.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. The layout scales to fit your screen and every tile can be tapped. Turning the phone sideways gives the tiles more room on the hardest layout.