Mahjong Solitaire

Mahjong Solitaire Objective

The goal of Mahjong Solitaire is to clear the entire board by removing pairs of tiles. A pair can only be made from tiles that are open, meaning they are not covered by another tile and have at least one side—left or right—completely free.

Matching Mahjong Tiles

Mahjong Solitaire is played with Mahjong tiles, arranged in layered layouts that vary in size and difficulty.

Mahjong Tiles

The tiles fall into three groups. You must pair matching suit and honor tiles. Bonus tiles may be paired with any tile in their set. For example, any Flower may be matched with any Flower, and any Season with any Season.

Suit Tiles include Dots, Bamboo, and Characters.

Dots

Bamboo

Characters

Honor Tiles include Winds and Dragons.

Dragons

Winds

Bonus Tiles include Flowers and Seasons.

Seasons

Flowers

Mahjong Layouts

Larger, taller layouts increase difficulty by hiding tiles under several others, while smaller, flatter layouts give more open moves from the start. Solitaire Bliss offers multiple layouts, so players can choose simpler or more complex patterns depending on the challenge they want.

How to Play Mahjong

Mahjong Solitaire is simple to pick up but requires attention to detail and a bit of strategy. Each move can either open up more of the board or accidentally block future options. This list details how to play Mahjong:

• Identify open tiles. A tile is considered open if no tile is resting on top of it and if it has at least one free side—either the left or the right. Tiles that are covered or trapped on both sides cannot be selected.
• Match tiles. Once you’ve spotted two open tiles that are the same, you can select them to make a pair. For most tiles, the match must be exact, but any Flower can be paired with any other Flower, and the same goes for the Seasons. These special tiles are less restrictive, so matching them early can help open up the board.
• Remove pairs. After you’ve chosen a pair, those tiles disappear from the board. This often uncovers new tiles beneath, which may now be open and available for matching. So keep matching pairs until the entire layout has been cleared.
• Use features if stuck. Mahjong Solitaire includes tools to keep the game going. You can undo your last move to try a different approach, use a hint to highlight a possible match, or reshuffle the tiles if the board becomes blocked.

Play continues in this way—spotting, matching, and removing pairs—until either all tiles are cleared or no moves remain.

Mahjong Strategy

Although Mahjong Solitaire is straightforward, planning ahead greatly improves your chances of success. Keep these tips in mind as you play:

• Free up the most tiles first. Match pairs that uncover or unblock other tiles instead of ones that only clear a single piece.
• Don’t rush the obvious matches. Holding back on easy pairs can sometimes leave you with more options later in the game.
• Clear bonus tiles early. Flowers and Seasons can be matched more flexibly, so using them early helps reduce clutter and open the board.
• Watch stacked duplicates. If two identical tiles are stacked, clear the one on top carefully so the one beneath doesn’t get stranded without a match.
• Think a few moves ahead. Consider how each match affects future possibilities before removing tiles.

Mahjong Solitaire combines the simplicity of a matching game with the depth of a strategy puzzle. By focusing on open tiles, planning moves carefully, and using bonus tiles wisely, you can steadily clear even the most challenging layouts.

You can play different layouts and levels free on Solitaire Bliss. And if you enjoy Mahjong, you try matching games that have a Solitaire twist by playing Golf or TriPeaks Solitaire. With these games, you match a card from the tableau that is one rank higher or lower than the one foundation pile to clear the tableau and win!