Mahjong Solitaire
Play Mahjong Solitaire free online: match pairs of free tiles to clear a layered board. Every game is a new layout, and every board can be cleared. No download, no sign-up, no timer, on phone or computer.
How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire is a one-player tile matching game. The tiles are stacked in a layered pattern, and you clear the board by removing matching pairs, two at a time. You win when no tiles are left.
Which tiles you can take
You can only take a free tile. A tile is free when both of these are true:
- no tile on a higher layer lies on top of it, even partly, and
- its left side or its right side is open (there is no tile right next to it on that side).
The top and bottom edges don't matter, only left and right. A tile in the middle of a row, with tiles on both sides, stays locked until one of its neighbours is gone. If you tap a tile that is not free, it gives a little shake.
Making a match
- Tap a free tile to select it.
- Tap another free tile with the same face. Both tiles leave the board.
- Tap the selected tile again, or a different free tile, to change your choice.
Each pair you remove may free the tiles next to it and the tiles under it. Keep going until the board is empty. If no free pair is left, the game is over; Retry Hand lets you play the same board again from the start.
Every board can be cleared
The layouts on SolitairePlace are made fresh for each game, with up to seven layers, and the tiles are placed by playing the game backwards from an empty board. That means every board has at least one way to clear it. Getting stuck means a different order of matches would have worked.
Controls
Hint shows a free pair that keeps the board solvable; each game comes with 3 free hints. If you have already made the board impossible, the hint offers to take you back to the last point where it could still be cleared. Undo takes back as many matches as you want while the game is running. When every tile left is free, Auto-Complete clears the rest and Skip finishes it at once. There is no timer: play at your own pace.
The Mahjong Tiles
The tiles come from the Chinese game of Mahjong. A full set has 144 tiles in these groups:
| Group | Tiles | How they match |
|---|---|---|
| Dots (circles) | 1 to 9, four of each | only the same number |
| Bamboo | 1 to 9, four of each | only the same number |
| Characters | 1 to 9, four of each | only the same number |
| Winds | East, South, West, North, four of each | only the same wind |
| Dragons | Red, Green, White, four of each | only the same dragon |
| Flowers | Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, one of each | any flower with any flower |
| Seasons | Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, one of each | any season with any season |
Look closely at the numbers in the suits. The 1 of Bamboo is often drawn as a bird, and the Characters tiles carry a Chinese numeral above a common sign. It takes a few games before you spot them at a glance.
Scoring
Every pair you remove scores 100 points, so your score shows how far you got: clearing a board scores 100 times the number of pairs on it. Because each layout is different, boards hold different numbers of tiles. The way to raise your best score is to clear the whole board, and to win the large layouts. Your best Mahjong score is saved in this browser.
Mahjong Solitaire Strategy
1. Free the long rows and tall stacks first
The tiles that block the most others are the ones to clear first: the tops of tall stacks, and the end tiles of long rows. A tile in the middle of a long row can only be reached from the ends, so the longer the row, the earlier you should start on it.
2. Don't take a pair just because you can
The most common way to lose is to match the two easy tiles of a set and leave the other two of the same face locked under each other. Before you match, check where the other tiles of that face are.
3. When all four are free, take both pairs
If you can see all four tiles of a face and they are all free, clear them as two pairs. That face is then gone for good and can't trap you later.
4. With three free, choose the pair that opens the most
When three tiles of a face are free, you can match any two. Pick the two that sit on top of other tiles or block a row; leave the one that blocks nothing.
5. Watch out for stacked twins
If two tiles of the same face lie one on top of the other, they can't be matched with each other. The tile on top must be matched with another tile first, so make sure that partner stays reachable.
6. Keep flowers and seasons for when you need them
Flowers match any flower and seasons match any season, so they are flexible. Don't spend them early unless they are blocking something.
7. Use undo to explore
Undo is unlimited during the game. If you can't decide between two pairs, try one, see what it frees, and undo if it opened nothing.
Your First Game, Step by Step
If you have never played Mahjong Solitaire, this is a good way to start a board.
- Take a look at the whole board. Find the highest stacks and the longest rows. Those are the parts that will take the longest to clear.
- Find the free tiles. They are the tiles on top of stacks and at the left and right ends of rows. Try tapping a few; a locked tile shakes, a free one lights up.
- Look for faces you can see four of. If all four tiles of one face are free, clear them as two pairs straight away.
- Start on the tall stacks. Match the top tiles of the highest stacks first, even when an easy pair sits at the edge of the board.
- Open the long rows from their ends. Every end tile you remove frees the next tile in that row.
- Check before every match. Ask where the other two tiles of that face are. If one of them is buried under its twin, think twice.
- Use a hint when you are stuck. It will only show a pair that keeps the board solvable, and if the board can no longer be cleared, it offers to take you back.
After a few boards you will start to see the layout as rows and stacks rather than as a pile of tiles, and the game gets much faster.
About Mahjong Solitaire
Mahjong itself is a four-player game from China, played with these tiles since the 1800s. The solitaire version uses the tiles but plays nothing like it: there is no hand to build and no opponent, only a board to clear. It is sometimes called Shanghai, after a 1986 computer game that made it popular. The classic stacked layout is known as the Turtle.
Today Mahjong Solitaire is one of the most played puzzle games on the web. People like it because it is calm, has no clock, and can be played for five minutes or an hour. Instead of the same Turtle every time, SolitairePlace makes a new layout for each game, so no two boards are alike.
Mahjong Solitaire FAQ
Is Mahjong Solitaire free?
Yes. Mahjong Solitaire on SolitairePlace is free in your browser, with no download, no account and no timer.
What is a free tile in Mahjong Solitaire?
A tile with no tile on top of it and with its left or right side open. Only free tiles can be matched.
Can every Mahjong board be solved?
Yes. Each board is built by playing backwards from an empty table, so there is always a way to clear it. If you get stuck, a different order of matches would have worked.
Which tiles match?
Tiles with the same face match. The exceptions are the flowers and seasons: any flower matches any other flower, and any season matches any other season.
Is there a shuffle button?
No. When no free pair is left, the game ends and you can retry the same board with Retry Hand, or start a new one. Undo and hints help you avoid getting stuck.
How many tiles are on the board?
It changes with each layout. The boards are made fresh each game with up to seven layers, so some hold more tiles than others.
How is Mahjong Solitaire scored?
Each pair you remove scores 100 points. Your best score is kept in this browser.
Is Mahjong Solitaire the same as Mahjong?
No. Mahjong is a four-player game about building hands. Mahjong Solitaire uses the same tiles for a one-player matching puzzle.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. The game works in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers, and you can install SolitairePlace as an app to play offline.
Is there a time limit?
No. There is no timer and no clock bonus, so you can take as long as you like over every move.
What happens if I leave in the middle of a game?
Your board is saved in this browser and comes back the next time you open the page.
More Games Like Mahjong Solitaire
- Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire everyone knows, one card at a time from the stock, and every deal can be won.
- Klondike Solitaire Turn 3: the traditional draw 3 version of Klondike: three cards at a time, only the top one playable, a real test of planning.
- TriPeaks Solitaire: a fast solitaire where you clear three peaks by playing one rank up or down, and long streaks score big.