How to play Mahjong solitaire

How to play Mahjong solitaire

Mahjong solitaire is a calm tile-matching puzzle for one player. Find two matching free tiles, remove them, and gradually open the layered board until every tile has gone. You may also know it as mahjongg. This version has six original layouts, artwork drawn especially for the game and a fresh daily board alongside unlimited free play.

A tile is free when nothing overlaps its top and either its left side or its right side is open. A gap above or below does not open a side. Tap a free tile to select it, then tap a matching free tile to remove the pair. The lifted tile shows your selection; tapping it again cancels. A gentle shake explains when a tile is still blocked.

Recognise the tile families

Dots have rings, Bamboo has green stalks, and Characters use a clear numeral with a red brush mark. Match the same number within the same suit. Winds carry E, S, W or N; Dragons have a red or green emblem or a white framed panel. These must match exactly. Flowers have petals and stems: any two Flowers match. Seasons show spring leaves, a sun, an autumn leaf or a snowflake: any two Seasons match.

Strategy: open the board

Look beyond the first pair you spot. Removing a raised tile can reveal several faces; removing an edge pair can open a long row. If three identical tiles are free, compare what each choice will uncover before choosing two. Keep an eye on the pairs-available counter. There is no need to rush in free play, so try reading the next layer before committing.

Hint pulses an available matching pair. Show free tiles adds a subtle outline, while High contrast strengthens tile borders. Undo steps back through removals and shuffles. Shuffle keeps the same remaining faces and fills their positions with a new solvable arrangement. Both controls can rescue a board with no matching free pair.

One daily board, or your own pace

The daily rotates through Tortoise, Bridge, Lighthouse, Butterfly, Pier and Castle. Its clock starts only when you press Start and keeps running if you leave. Begin with 1,000 points and deduct 0.6 per second, 30 per hint and 60 per shuffle. A finish always earns at least 100 points. Free play offers freshly generated boards, an Easy assist and records saved separately for each layout on your device.

Read freedom, not just matching faces

A matching picture alone is not enough. Imagine sliding each tile left or right without disturbing a neighbour, then lifting it without touching a tile above. Both tests must pass. A tile with its top clear can still be locked between neighbours on the same layer. Conversely, a tile can be free on its left even while the right side touches another tile. Raised tiles that cover only part of a lower face still block it. This is why the free-tile outline is useful while learning.

Choose a pair with a purpose

Before taking a pair, ask which hidden edges it opens. A low tile at the end of a long row may release its neighbour; a high tile may expose two tiles beneath. Prefer a choice that offers several new matches. When four copies of a face are visible, check whether taking one particular pair would leave the other two on top of each other or locked in separate rows. There may be several routes to a finish, but a starting board with a solution does not make every choice safe.

Use help thoughtfully

Hint identifies one available pair and favours moves that open more tiles. It does not promise that every later choice will win. If there are no free matches, Hint explains that you can undo or shuffle, without charging for an empty hint. A shuffle costs daily points but cannot lose the game by itself: it is built to provide a complete legal removal order from the remaining positions. Undo restores the previous board, including the exact face arrangement before a shuffle, while the shuffle count stays charged. Hints stay charged too.

Controls on every screen

On a phone, use a short tap rather than a drag. The board fits the available width, with larger tiles on wider screens. On a narrow screen, the larger layouts can need a little vertical scrolling; turning the phone can make the rows easier to compare. With a keyboard, Tab visits the free tiles and the arrow keys travel across their positions. Enter or Space selects a tile. Press H for Hint, S for Shuffle, Z for Undo and Escape to cancel your selection. Reduced-motion settings shorten the visual effects.

Free-play records and starting again

Choose a layout from the picker, choose Normal or Easy, then press New game. Easy starts with the free-tile outlines switched on; the rules and deal quality are the same. New games are generated in your browser from fresh random seeds and never take a future daily deal. Your device records games started, games won, win rate, current and best streaks, fastest winning time, fewest undos and average winning time. Starting another game before finishing ends that free-play streak. The records panel lets you compare your progress across all six layouts.

Saving a daily board

Daily moves are saved on your device and periodically checked into the server. Reload to continue with the same board and running clock. If the device copy is lost, the latest server checkpoint restores the saved prefix of your moves. An internet interruption can leave a few recent moves saved only on the device, so keep the tab or its storage until the connection returns. Archive practice still checks your moves, but its result is not ranked. Giving up ends the daily attempt at zero points; it does not prevent you enjoying another board in free play.

Play Mahjong solitaire or explore all our daily games. All our tile illustrations and layouts are original, and the game runs in a web browser without an account or installation.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the four-player game?

This is mahjong solitaire: a single-player tile-matching puzzle. It uses familiar tile families but has no betting, dealing turns or multiplayer hands.

Which tiles can I match?

Match identical faces, except that any Flower matches another Flower and any Season matches another Season. Both tiles must be free on top and on at least one side.

Are all boards solvable?

Every starting board has a checked route to the finish. Your choices may block it, so Undo and Shuffle can help. A shuffle keeps the remaining tiles and creates a fresh solvable route.

Can I play unlimited mahjong for free?

Yes. Free play generates a new solvable board whenever you choose New game. Six layouts, hints, shuffle and undo are available without an account.

When does the daily board change?

A new board appears at midnight UK time, using GMT in winter and BST in summer. Everyone receives the same daily layout and deal.