Mahjong Solitaire

Big Card Solitaire

Click a free tile, then a matching free tile, and both are removed. A tile is free when nothing lies on it and its left or right side is open. Any flower matches any flower, any season any season. Dimmed tiles are blocked.

72 tiles left · 7 matching pairs free

How to play Mahjong Solitaire

Mahjong Solitaire is a one-player matching game played with mahjong tiles stacked in layers. You clear the board two tiles at a time: pick a free tile, then a second free tile with the same face, and both are removed. You win when every tile is gone. There is no clock and no score, so you can take each move at your own pace.

The rules in short

  1. Each tile shows a face: Dots, Bamboo or Characters numbered 1 to 9, the four Winds (E, S, W, N), three Dragons, four Flowers and four Seasons. On this board every face has a big symbol and a shape of its own, so you never need to tell tiles apart by colour.
  2. A tile is free when no other tile lies on top of it, even partly, and at least one of its long sides, left or right, is open. A tile with neighbours on both its left and its right is blocked, however many tiles are above or below it. Free tiles are bright; blocked tiles are slightly dimmed.
  3. Select a free tile, then a free tile that matches it. Most tiles match only an identical tile: Bamboo 3 with Bamboo 3, East Wind with East Wind. The exceptions are Flowers and Seasons: any Flower matches any other Flower, and any Season matches any other Season.
  4. Select the same tile again to put it back, or select a different free tile to switch. If you pick a blocked tile, the message below the board tells you why it cannot be taken.
  5. When no free pair is left, the board says so and offers Shuffle: the remaining tiles swap faces but keep their places. Undo works for every move, including a shuffle.

Tips

Questions

Can every game be solved?

Yes. Every deal here is built backwards from an empty board: matching pairs are placed onto positions that would both be free at that moment, so removing them in reverse order clears the board. You can still block yourself by taking pairs in an unlucky order. Then use Undo, or Shuffle, which deals the remaining faces again so the board can be cleared whenever the shape of the remaining tiles allows it.

What is the difference between the Compact and Classic layouts?

Compact is the default: 72 tiles, eight tiles wide and three layers high, made so the tiles stay large on a phone. Classic is the traditional Turtle with all 144 tiles on five layers. It is fifteen tiles wide, so its tiles are smaller; on a phone, turn your screen sideways or use a larger tile size and scroll the board. Your choice is saved for your next visit.

Which tiles match: are Flowers and Seasons special?

Yes. There are four different Flowers (numbered 1 to 4 under the flower) and four different Seasons (a sprout, a sun, a leaf and a snowflake inside a double frame). Any two Flowers make a pair and any two Seasons make a pair. Every other tile needs its exact twin.

Can I make the tiles bigger?

Yes. The A− to A+++ buttons at the top set the tile size from 90% to 200%. The default size fits the whole Compact board on the screen; larger sizes let the board scroll sideways while the page stays put. Your size is saved for your next visit.

Is there a time limit or a sound?

There is no time limit. Sound is off until you switch it on with the Sound button; then a soft tone plays for each pair and a short tune when you clear the board.