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Mahjong Solitaire

Mahjong Solitaire is part of Toolspire and is ready as soon as this page loads. Match pairs of free tiles until the board is clear — the classic turtle and three more layouts, every deal winnable, with hints that know the way.

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What you can do here

Always winnable

Each deal is built backwards from an empty board, so there is always a way to clear it.

Hints that know the way

A solver picks a pair that keeps the board winnable, and warns you when it no longer is.

Easy to read

Clear, crisp tiles with small index numbers, and shading on blocked tiles.

Four layouts

From the 144-tile turtle to a 72-tile quick game for a coffee break.

Shuffle and undo

Stuck? Shuffle the tiles that are left, or step back as far as you like.

Daily game and stats

Play the same board as everyone today, share a game by its number, and track your fastest clears.

The sequence

How to play mahjong solitaire

  1. 1

    Find a free tile

    A tile is free if no tile lies on top of it and it can slide out to the left or right — one side must be open.

  2. 2

    Match a pair

    Tap two free tiles that are the same to remove them. Any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season.

  3. 3

    Open up the board

    Prefer pairs that free the most tiles: the top of the stacks and the long rows’ ends.

  4. 4

    Use help when stuck

    Press Hint for a pair that keeps the game winnable, Undo to step back, or Shuffle when no pairs are left.

  5. 5

    Clear the board

    Remove all the tiles to win.

Worth knowing

  • Mahjong Solitaire on Toolspire: remove the 144 tiles two at a time by matching free pairs — a tile is free when nothing lies on top of it and its left or right side is open. Any two flowers match, and so do any two seasons.
  • Four layouts: the classic Turtle (144 tiles on five layers), Pyramid (120), Fortress (116) and Quick (72) for a short game.
  • Every deal can be cleared. Boards are built by playing the game backwards; with random deals, an analysis of ten million turtles found about 3% can’t be cleared at all.
  • Hints come from a solver, so they point to a pair on a winning line — and the game tells you when the board can no longer be cleared. Shuffle rearranges what’s left and keeps it winnable; undo has no limit.
  • Tiles carry small Latin numbers and letters (E S W N for the winds), so you don’t need to read Chinese characters. Blocked tiles can be shaded to make free ones stand out.
  • The computer game was created by Brodie Lockard in 1981 on the PLATO system. A daily game, shareable game numbers, stats and your saved game are all included — free, no account.

The tiles

GroupTilesHow many
Dots (circles)1 to 94 of each — 36
Bamboo1 to 9 (the 1 is a bird)4 of each — 36
Characters1 to 9, Chinese numerals above 萬4 of each — 36
WindsEast 東, South 南, West 西, North 北4 of each — 16
DragonsRed 中, Green 發, White (a blue frame)4 of each — 12
FlowersPlum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo — any two match1 of each — 4
SeasonsSpring, summer, autumn, winter — any two match1 of each — 4

Tips

  • Work from the top and the ends. Tiles on top of stacks and at the ends of long rows hold the most other tiles in place.
  • When three of a kind are free, think first. Removing the wrong two can leave the fourth stuck under its twin.
  • Clear long rows from both ends so a single tile doesn’t end up blocking a whole row.
  • Save the flowers and seasons — they match freely, so they’re handy when you need one more move.
  • All four of a kind free? Take them. Removing a complete set can never hurt.

About mahjong solitaire

Mahjong solitaire uses the tiles of the four-player game mahjong, but it is a matching game for one. Brodie Lockard wrote the first computer version, *Mah-Jongg*, in 1981 on the PLATO system, and Activision’s *Shanghai* (1986) brought it to home computers. The classic starting arrangement is called the turtle.

FAQ

Questions about Mahjong Solitaire

Where does Mahjong Solitaire run?

Mahjong Solitaire runs in this tab on Toolspire. What you type or drop in is not sent to us and is not stored on a server.

How do you play mahjong solitaire?

Tap two matching tiles that are both free to remove them. A tile is free when nothing is on top of it and its left or right side is open. Clear all the tiles to win.

Is every game winnable?

Here, yes — each board is built by playing a game backwards, so it can always be cleared. With truly random deals, about 3% of turtle boards can never be cleared.

Which tiles match?

Identical tiles match. The exceptions are the flowers and the seasons: any flower matches any other flower, and any season matches any other season.

What if there are no moves left?

Press Shuffle to rearrange the remaining tiles in the same places — the new arrangement can still be cleared — or Undo to go back.

What does the hint do?

It asks a solver for a pair that keeps the board winnable and highlights it. If the board can no longer be cleared, it tells you so you can undo or shuffle.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. The board fits phone screens; for bigger tiles, try the Pyramid or Quick layout or full screen.

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