About Mahjong Tiles
Mahjong Tiles is the relaxing tile-matching solitaire. Tiles are stacked in layers. Match two identical tiles that are free, meaning nothing lies on top of them and at least one long side is open, to remove them from the board.
Every deal is built backwards from a solution, so each board can be cleared. You get hints, an undo button and three shuffles. Choose a 72-tile easy board, a 104-tile normal stack or a 128-tile hard layout, and beat your best time.
How to play
- Tap a free tile, then tap its identical twin. Dimmed tiles are not free yet.
- Free tiles have no tile on top and an open left or right side.
- A hint adds 10 seconds. When no pairs are left, the board shuffles itself.
Mahjong Solitaire rules
Mahjong Solitaire, also called Mahjong Tiles or Shanghai, is a single-player matching puzzle that uses the tiles of the traditional four-player game. The tiles are stacked in layers. Remove them in identical pairs until the board is empty. You can only take a free tile: one with no tile on top of it and with its left or right side open. Dimmed tiles in this game are not free yet.
The solitaire version became popular with Shanghai, released for home computers in 1986, and has been a favourite on every computer since.
Strategy tips
- Clear the long rows from the ends. Removing end tiles frees the tiles behind them.
- Uncover tall stacks early. Tiles buried under several layers are the ones most likely to block you at the end.
- Choose the pair that frees the most tiles. When several matches are possible, pick the one that opens new moves.
- Watch for all four of a kind. If all four copies of a tile are free, match them in any order. If only three are free, think about which pair to take so you do not trap the fourth.
- Do not rush the easy matches in open areas; save them for when you need a move.
Layouts and help
Easy has two layers and 72 tiles, Normal has four layers and 104 tiles, and Hard is a wide stack of 128 tiles. A hint adds 10 seconds to your time. If no pairs are left, the board reshuffles itself so you can keep going.
Mahjong FAQ
Is Mahjong Solitaire the same as Mahjong?
No. Traditional Mahjong is a four-player game with hands and scoring. Mahjong Solitaire only borrows the tiles for a one-player matching puzzle.
How is my record measured?
Your record is your fastest time to clear the board in each layout.
Enjoy matching games? Try Memory Match, Gem Match or all puzzle games.
