Mahjong Solitaire Rules, Tiles and Tips

Mahjong Solitaire (also called Shanghai or tile matching) uses the beautiful tiles of the Chinese game of mahjong, but the rules are much simpler: match pairs until the board is empty.

Quick steps

Look for two identical tiles that are both free.
A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and its left or right side is open.
Tap the two free tiles to remove them as a pair. Any Flower matches any Flower, and any Season matches any Season.
Keep removing pairs, starting with tiles that block many others.
Clear every tile from the board to win. If no pairs are left, shuffle the remaining tiles.

The goal

The tiles are stacked in a layout, often several layers high. Remove them in matching pairs. When the last pair is gone, you win.

Free tiles

You can only use a tile that is free: nothing may lie on top of it, not even partly, and at least one of its long sides, left or right, must be open. Tiles above or below it in the same layer do not matter. That is why tiles at the ends of rows and on top of stacks are usually the first to go. In our game the 👁 Free tiles button dims every tile that is not free.

The tiles explained

Dots (circles), Bamboo (sticks) and Characters (the sign 萬 with a number) are the three suits, numbered 1 to 9, with four copies of each tile.
Winds: East, South, West and North (東南西北), four of each.
Dragons: Red (中), Green (發) and White (an empty frame), four of each.
Flowers and Seasons: four different tiles of each, one copy each. Any Flower matches any other Flower, and any Season any other Season.

That makes 144 tiles in total. Our tiles show clear numbers and letters, and an Easy-read style with one big symbol each.

Tips to clear the board

Unblock long rows. Tiles at the ends of the longest rows hold up many others.
Clear the tall stacks early. A tile on top covers several below.
When three of a kind are free, pause. Pick the pair that frees more tiles. If all four are free, take both pairs.
Watch for twins stacked on each other. If a tile sits on top of its own twin, you will need one of the other copies to free it, so keep one available.
Look ahead before matching the last available pair of a kind.

Getting stuck

Sometimes no free pairs are left. Many games end there, but ours offers a free 🔀 Shuffle that re-deals the remaining tiles so the board can still be cleared. Every deal here is built to be solvable. Start with the small layouts in easy Mahjong, then try the classic Turtle.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mahjong Solitaire the same as mahjong?

No. Mahjong is a four-player game of skill and chance. Mahjong Solitaire uses the same tiles for a one-player matching puzzle.

Do Flowers and Seasons match each other?

No. Any Flower matches any Flower and any Season matches any Season, but a Flower does not match a Season.

Is every Mahjong Solitaire game winnable?

Not always in other games. On RelaxPlays every deal is built to be solvable, and shuffles keep it solvable.