How to play mahjong solitaire
Clear the table by taking tiles off in matching pairs. Click a tile, then click its twin. If they match, both are removed.
Only free tiles can be taken. A tile is free when nothing rests on top of it and it could slide out to the left or to the right. The tiles at the two ends of a row, and the single tile at the top of the stack, are usually the first ones you can reach.
Flowers and seasons are the exception to exact matching: any two flowers make a pair, and so do any two seasons.
Every board here is dealt by working backwards from an empty table, so each one can be cleared. When you run out of moves, the order of play is the problem, not the deal. Undo a few steps and try a different pair, or turn on Dim blocked tiles to see what is open.
Learn the four-player game
Solitaire borrows mahjong's tiles, not its rules. If you want to sit down at a real table, these guides take you from the tiles to a winning hand.
- How to play mahjongBuilding the wall, taking a turn, claiming discards and what a winning hand looks like.
- Mahjong tiles explainedAll 144 tiles, what the characters mean and how to tell the suits apart.
- What is mah jongg?Where the game came from, and why the American version is played from a card.
- Mahjong for two playersA shorter version for two people, with the tiles you remove before you start.
Questions
Can every board be cleared?
Yes. The tiles are placed by working backwards from an empty table, so at least one order of moves removes them all. Undo has no limit.
Why won't some tiles respond when I click them?
They are blocked: another tile rests on top, or there are tiles touching both their left and right sides. Clear one side and they open up.
Is this the same game as mahjong with four players?
No. Solitaire is a matching puzzle that uses the same tiles. The four-player game is about collecting sets of tiles into a winning hand; this guide explains it.
Do I need to download or sign up?
No. The game runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone. Your sound and highlight settings are remembered on this device.