How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire is a tile matching game played on a layout stacked several levels high. You clear the board by taking matching pairs off it, two at a time.
It shares its tiles with the four player game and nothing else. There are no melds, no opponents and no scoring beyond finishing.
Play Mahjong SolitaireHow to play
- A tile is free if nothing sits on top of it and either its left or its right side is open.
- Click two free tiles that match to remove them.
- Most tiles match only their exact twin. Flowers match any flower and seasons match any season.
- Clear every tile to win. If no free pair is left, the board is stuck.
Strategy
Take tiles from the top of the stacks first. Every tile you remove up there frees several below it, while clearing the ends of long rows achieves very little.
When three of a kind are visible, think before matching. Pair the two that free the most beneath them and leave the one that is going nowhere.
If all four of a set are free at once, take all four. Leaving two stranded behind a stack is how boards die.
Frequently asked questions
When is a tile free in Mahjong Solitaire?
When no tile covers it and at least one of its long sides, left or right, has no tile against it.
Can every layout be cleared?
Not always from every line of play. Boards are dealt so a solution exists, but careless matching can still strand tiles.
Which tiles match?
Identical tiles match each other. Flowers match any other flower, and seasons match any other season.