Mahjong Solitaire

What is Mahjong Solitaire?

Mahjong Solitaire is the classic one-player matching game played with mahjong tiles. The tiles sit in layers on a table, and the goal is to take them all off, two matching tiles at a time. A tile can only be taken when it is free: nothing rests on top of it, and its left or right side is open.

Every deal can be cleared to the last tile. There are three layouts, the Pagoda with 72 tiles, the Fortress with 108 and the Turtle with 144, and a new table, the same for everyone, arrives every day.

How to play

Tap a free tile, then its twin; both leave the table.

• Free tiles. A tile is free when nothing lies on top of it and at least one side, left or right, is open. Blocked tiles are a shade darker.
• Pairs. Identical tiles match. Flowers match any flower, and seasons match any season.
• Help. Undo puts the last pair back (+5 s), Hint shows a free pair (+30 s) and Shuffle deals the remaining tiles again over the same places (+30 s).
• Score. Your score is the time to clear the table, help included. Every layout has its own leaderboard.

Strategy tips

1. Free the tall stacks first. Tiles on top cover many others; take them early to open up more free tiles.
2. Open the long rows. A long row only frees from its ends, so pairs at the ends of long rows are worth more.
3. Count the twins. When all four tiles of a kind are free, take them without a worry. When only three are free, pick the pair that opens the way to the fourth.
4. Watch for stacked twins. When a tile sits right on top of its twin, the one below will need one of the other two, so do not use both of them elsewhere.
5. Undo is cheaper than Shuffle. When you run out of pairs, a few steps back at 5 seconds each often cost less than a 30 second shuffle.

FAQ

Is Mahjong Solitaire free to play?

Yes. Like every game on Play, it runs free in your browser, with no download and no account needed.

Can every table be cleared?

Yes. Every deal is built up from an empty table, so there is always an order that clears it. If you take another order and run out of pairs, use Undo or Shuffle.

What does a hint do?

It shows a free pair you can take off right now. Each hint adds 30 seconds to your time.

What is the daily table?

Every day everyone gets the same Fortress with the same tiles, so times compare directly on the leaderboard.

How is my score counted?

Your score is the time from the first look to the last pair taken off, plus 30 seconds for every hint or shuffle and 5 seconds for every undo. Lower is better.