How do you play mahjong solitaire?

Find two identical free tiles and click them one after another — the pair disappears from the board. The goal is to remove all tiles.

What if I run out of moves?

Press "Shuffle" — the remaining tiles are redealt so that a solution exists again. You can also undo recent moves.

Is every deal solvable?

Yes. Every deal is built so that it can be cleared completely if you pick the right pairs.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, without sign-up. Your unfinished game and statistics are saved in the browser and on the server, so you can close the tab and come back later.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes, the game runs in the browser on phones and tablets with no install. On a narrow screen the vertical Tower layout is the most comfortable.

Mahjong solitaire rules

Q: Which tiles are free?

A tile is free if no other tiles lie on top of it and its left or right edge is open. Blocked tiles are slightly dimmed on the board.

Mahjong solitaire is a single-player game played with Chinese mahjong tiles. The rules fit into one sentence: remove pairs of identical free tiles until the board is empty.

Which tiles are free

A tile is free when both conditions are met:

no other tile lies on top of it, even partially;
its left or right edge is open — there is no neighbour on the same layer on at least one side.

Tiles squeezed between neighbours on both sides or covered from above can't be removed. By default such tiles are slightly dimmed — you can turn this off in the settings.

Which tiles make a pair

A pair is two identical tiles, for example two "five of dots" or two red dragons. Flowers and seasons are the exception: any flower matches any other flower, and any season matches any other season.

When the game ends

You win when no tiles are left on the board. If there are no free pairs, you can:

shuffle the remaining tiles — they are redealt to the same places so that a solution exists again;
undo recent moves and try another path;
start a new game.

Tips for winning

Start with tiles that block the most others: the upper layers and the middle of long rows.
When three identical tiles are open, remove the pair that frees more neighbours.
When all four identical tiles are open, remove them right away — two pairs can't hurt.
Watch out for stacked tiles: if a tile lies on top of its own match, that stack can't be cleared without other moves.
Use a hint when you're stuck — it highlights one of the available pairs.

A bit of history

Mahjong itself is a four-player game that originated in 19th-century China. Solitaire with its tiles appeared much later: in 1981 programmer Brodie Lockard wrote a computer version for the PLATO system, released in 1986 as "Shanghai". Its 144-tile Turtle layout became a classic. Since then mahjong solitaire has been one of the most popular puzzles in the world.