How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
Anna | October 26, 2025
Mahjong began as a 4-player table game in China and spread worldwide in the early 1900s. Decades later, its tiles and symbols inspired a new idea for computers: Mahjong Solitaire, a quiet single-player version that appeared in the early 1980s and is the game you can play on our site. The goal is simple: remove matching pairs of tiles until the board is empty.
The Tiles and What They Mean
Your game starts with 144 tiles, stacked in layers. The main shape is called the Turtle, and it was also used in the first digital version of Mahjong Solitaire created by Brodie Lockard back in the 1980s. The tiles fall into 3 main groups, also shown in figure 1:
- The suits: Characters, Bamboo and Dots, tiles 1-9, with 4 copies of each tile.
- The honors: Winds (East, South, West, North) and Dragons (Red, Green, White), 4 copies of each tile.
- Bonus tiles: Flowers and Seasons, 1 copy of each tile.
This setup is important for matching. Suits and honors can only be paired with the exact same tile. For example, a Bamboo 5 only matches another Bamboo 5. A Red Dragon only goes with another Red Dragon.
Bonus tiles follow a different rule. Any Flower can match any other Flower. Same for Seasons. But you can't mix a Flower with a Season.
Matching Rules in Practice
Your goal is to remove all the tiles by making valid pairs. But what makes a pair valid?
- It has to be the same tile (or matching type for Flowers and Seasons)
- Both tiles have to be free
What does “free” mean?
- The tile has nothing on top of it
- At least one long side (left or right) is completely open
If both sides are blocked or something’s sitting on top, the tile can’t be used. A good mental check: if you couldn’t lift it straight up with two fingers, it’s not free.
To make this rule clearer, look at Figure 2 above. The grayed-out tiles are blocked and can’t be moved. The white ones are free because at least one of their long sides is open and there’s nothing on top. In this layout, the only valid pair is the two bird tiles. They’re both free and show the exact same image, so they can be matched and removed according to Mahjong Solitaire rules.
Solvability and Getting Stuck
Each deal in this game is random. That means some boards are not solvable, even with shuffles and hints. That’s part of the challenge. The best way to win is to open the board early, keep your options alive, and use your tools when the layout starts to tighten.
If no legal moves are left, the game will show a prompt letting you know you're out of options. From there, you can click the reshuffle button to mix the remaining tiles while keeping the same layout. This can open up new matches, but it doesn't guarantee a win. It just gives you another chance to keep going.
Tools and Shortcuts
The button panel in our game gives you a few helpful tools to keep things smooth:
- Hint: shows a legal pair (completely random so not always the best one)
- Shuffle: mixes remaining tiles without changing the shape
- Undo: take back your last move (unlimited)
- Restart: start the same layout again with a new shuffle
If you’re using a keyboard, these shortcuts are available for both Mac and Windows:
- Left / Right arrows: browse layouts
- CTRL-Z / U: undo last move
- R: restart current layout
- H: show hint
- S: shuffle
You’ll also see a small info panel while you play. It shows how many pairs are available, how long the game has been running, and how many tiles are left. It helps you keep track and notice when you’re running low on options.
Difficulty and Layouts
Our game offers 18 layouts to choose from, including playful shapes like Fortress, Twin Peaks and Arena. The difficulty of a board depends on its shape and height. Tall stacks hide tiles under layers, while long flat rows tease you with visible pieces that stay locked from the side. If you’re new, choose a layout with modest height and as few single-file rows as possible so you open space quickly and avoid early dead ends.
Don’t Worry About Losing Progress
Good news: the game remembers. You can close the tab, grab a coffee, get mind-buffed, or dash out the door, and when you return your run is right where you left it. Layout, board position, timer, all saved on this device in this browser. Pick New Game or Restart and the current run for that layout is replaced with a fresh deal. Want a total reset? Clear this site’s cookies and storage to wipe everything clean.
Strategies That Actually Help
Want more wins with less luck? Use these simple habits to open space early, avoid dead ends and keep options alive.
- Open the board first: At the start of the game, always choose moves that reveal new tiles. A pair that unlocks two fresh faces is much better than one that unlocks nothing, even if that other pair looks more tempting. The goal early on is to create options, not just remove tiles.
- Work top down, then outside in: Tall stacks are risky. They hide tiles and limit your moves, so clear the tops of those stacks as soon as you legally can. Once you’ve brought them down a bit, shift your focus to the ends of long rows. Those outer tiles free up quickly and can open paths toward the middle.
- Think carefully with triples or quads: Sometimes you’ll see three or four of the same tile all free at once. Don’t just match the first two you spot. Compare the options and pick the pair that clears a blocker or opens space beside a tall stack.
- Keep a spare pair for later: If you find an easy pair that doesn’t unlock anything, don’t rush to remove it. Keep it in reserve. A pair like that can save your run later when you need just one more move to open something useful.
- Don’t leave tall towers for last: One tall stack at the end can block the whole board. These towers often hide matching tiles in the wrong order, with no way to reach them. Try to chip away at the tallest parts often so the board stays balanced.
- Cut down long rows early: Wide horizontal rows show lots of tiles, but they’re tricky because they block from the sides. When you can, remove tiles from both ends. Shortening the row gives more pieces a free long edge.
- Plan two or three moves ahead: Before you click, take a moment to look at all the legal pairs and think about what each one might open next. Since our game includes an undo button, you can safely test different paths. Choose the move that opens the most new tiles after two steps, not just one.
Mahjong Solitaire rewards a calm rhythm and small, smart choices. Keep your tiles free, open up space when you can, and use the tools when the board starts to tighten. The more you play, the more clears you'll get, and the better they’ll feel. You can play Mahjong Solitaire online for free, right here in your browser.
Ready to clear your first board?
