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Overview

Mahjong Solitaire

1 player · 5-20 min per session

Remove all tiles by repeatedly matching and removing pairs of ‘open’ identical tiles.

Players: 1P Session length: 5-20 min

PuzzleMatching

Goal & Core Rules

Remove all tiles by repeatedly matching and removing pairs of ‘open’ identical tiles.

Tiles are stacked in layers; only ‘open’ tiles can be removed.
A tile is typically open if no tile covers it and at least one side (left or right) is free.
Remove tiles in identical pairs; in this build, any flower matches any flower and any season matches any season.
You win by removing all tiles; you lose if no legal open pairs remain.

Easy Layout

A smaller 72-tile, 3-layer layout that is easier to read on mobile.

Classic Layout

Normal and hard use the full 144-tile stacked layout.

Hint / Shuffle

The game provides hint and limited shuffle tools, while hard disables shuffles.

Controls

Mouse

Click: select a tile
Click a matching open tile: remove the pair
Use the top menu for hint, shuffle, restart, and new game

Keyboard

Dedicated keyboard controls are not supported.

Touch

Tap: select a tile
Tap a matching open tile: remove the pair
Use the mobile bottom/right action panel for hint, shuffle, and clearing the current selection

Beginner Tips

Focus on freeing tiles, not just making any match—opening new moves is key.
Clear top layers early to reveal more options below.
Avoid removing a tile if it ‘locks’ its twin under other tiles.

Advanced Tips

Prefer moves that increase the number of open tiles and reduce bottlenecks.
Track rare tiles (e.g., a single exposed pair) and protect access until you’re ready.
When multiple matches exist, choose the one that exposes the most new tiles.

Origins & History

Mahjong solitaire is a single-player matching game that uses mahjong tiles but is otherwise unrelated to the four-player game mahjong. The computer game ‘Shanghai’ (1986) helped popularize the genre.

Timeline

1986 ‘Shanghai’, a mahjong solitaire video game by Activision, is released and becomes widely known.

Notable People

Brodie Lockard Programmer credited on the 1986 game ‘Shanghai’

Sources

FAQ

Is this the same as traditional mahjong?

No. Mahjong solitaire uses the tiles but plays as a single-player matching puzzle with different rules.

What does ‘open tile’ mean?

Usually a tile with no tile on top and at least one side (left or right) free so it can slide out.

Do flowers/seasons have special matching?

Yes. In this build, any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season.