Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching game. To play, you find two identical tiles that are both free, and you remove them. A tile is free when nothing rests on it and its left or right side is open. You keep matching pairs until the board is clear. If no free tiles match, you can undo, shuffle, or start a new game.
What free means
A tile is free when both of these are true:
- No tile sits on top of it, not even partly.
- Its left side or its right side is open.
So a tile in the middle of a row is not free, since tiles touch it on both sides. Only the ends can be taken. Once you remove an end tile, the next one becomes free.
Our game helps you see this. Blocked tiles look dimmer, and you can turn that off in Settings.
What matches what
Most tiles match only an identical tile.
There are two exceptions. Any flower matches any flower. Any season matches any season.
A flower does not match a season.
The tiles
A standard set has 144 tiles:
- 36 Bamboo, 36 Characters, and 36 Dots
- 16 winds and 12 dragons
- 4 flowers and 4 seasons
Letters and numbers on our tiles help you tell them apart. You can turn them off in Settings when you feel ready.
How to win
You win when you clear every tile. Our game shows two helpers at all times: how many tiles are left, and how many matches are available. If that number reaches zero, you have no moves left, and you have a few choices.
Controls
| To do this | Tap or click | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a tile | The tile | Arrow keys, then Enter |
| Get a hint | Hint | H |
| Take back a move | Undo | U |
| Bring a move back | Redo | R |
| Rearrange what is left | Shuffle | |
| Pause | Pause | P |
Common beginner mistakes
- Matching the first pair you see. Look for a pair that frees up more tiles.
- Ignoring tall stacks. Clearing the top of a stack opens the tiles below.
- Thinking you must memorize the tiles. The letters and numbers are there to help.
A little history
The computer game was first made by Brodie Lockard in 1981, on the PLATO system. It became popular through later versions in the 1980s and 1990s. Read about where the four-player game came from.
Questions people ask
Is Mahjong Solitaire the same as mahjong?
No. Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching game that uses mahjong tiles. Mahjong itself is a four-player game with very different rules.
Can every game be won?
On this site, yes. Every deal is built from a known way to clear the board, so a solution exists. You may still get stuck by matching in a different order.