How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
A complete guide to the rules, the tiles, scoring, Chaos Mode, and strategies that will help you clear even the tallest boards.
The goal
Remove every tile from the board. You remove tiles in pairs: tap one tile, then tap a matching tile. If both are free, they disappear. When the last pair is gone, the level is complete.
Which tiles are free?
A tile is free when both of these are true:
- Nothing is on top of it. Even a tile that only partly covers it keeps it locked.
- Its left side or its right side is open. At least one of the two long sides must have no tile directly next to it on the same layer.
Blocked tiles are dimmed, so you can see at a glance which tiles you can pick. You can turn this off in Settings if you prefer a harder game. Tiles above or below a tile do not count as side neighbours; only tiles on the same layer do.
The tiles
The game uses the classic Chinese mahjong set. A full set has 144 tiles. Smaller boards use only part of the set, but tiles always come in matching groups.
| Suit | Tiles | How they match |
|---|---|---|
| Dots (Circles) | 1 to 9, four of each | Same number only |
| Bamboo | 1 to 9, four of each | Same number only |
| Characters | 1 to 9 (萬), four of each | Same number only |
| Winds | East 東, South 南, West 西, North 北 | Same wind only |
| Dragons | Red 中, Green 發, White | Same dragon only |
| Flowers | Four different flowers | Any flower matches any flower |
| Seasons | Four different seasons | Any season matches any season |
The small number in the corner of the suit tiles helps you read them quickly, even when you are new to the characters.
Undo, Hint and Shuffle
- Undo
- Takes back your last move. You can undo as many times as you like, all the way to the start of the level.
- Hint
- Highlights a pair you can remove. Using one costs 20 points.
- Shuffle
- Mixes the remaining tiles when no free pair is left. Using one costs 30 points.
You get 1 hint and 1 shuffle for the whole game. Every level and both modes share them, and they do not refill when you move on or replay a level, so save them for the tough boards. When you run out, you can watch a short ad to get another one. Hints and shuffles earned this way cost no points. On timed levels you can also watch an ad for 60 extra seconds when the clock runs out.
Scoring and stars
- Each pair is worth 10 points. Flowers and seasons are worth 20.
- Combos: make your next match within 5 seconds and the points are multiplied: ×2, ×3, up to ×5.
- Clear bonus: 2 points for every tile on the board when you finish.
- Time bonus: 3 points for every second you finish under the level's par time.
- Rank multiplier: higher ranks multiply all of the above, up to ×2 for Grandmaster.
Stars are about speed. Finish within the par time for ★★★, within 1.6 times par for ★★, and any clear earns ★. You can replay any unlocked level with a brand-new deal to improve your stars.
Ranks and difficulty
Levels 1–40 have no clock, so you can take your time. From Expert (level 41) a countdown clock appears. If it reaches zero, you can retry the same deal. From Master (level 61) tiles that are covered by other tiles lie face down, and you only see them once they are uncovered. Deals also become craftier, with more pairs that look safe but block each other later.
Chaos Mode
Chaos Mode is a separate set of 30 levels with classic rules plus special tiles. New tiles are introduced gradually, and scores in Chaos Mode are multiplied by 1.5.
- 🧨 Firecracker
- Shows a burning fuse. Every match you make, anywhere on the board, shortens the fuse by one. Match the firecracker before it reaches zero, or it explodes and the level is lost. Defusing one is worth 30 bonus points.
- ✨ Wild tile
- Matches any tile. When you use one, its twin turns into the partner of the tile you matched, so every tile still has a match.
- 🔒 Lock & key
- A chained tile cannot be picked until you match the pair marked with a golden key.
- 🐸 Toad
- Sits on a tile so you cannot pick it. Tap the toad to shoo it away. It hops to a new tile every 3 matches and leaves for good near the end of the level.
Strategy tips
- Unblock before you tidy up. Easy pairs on the outer edge can wait. Pairs that open up the middle of a long row or the top of a tall stack are usually more valuable.
- Watch the tall stacks. Tiles buried under several layers become free late, so clear the layers above them early.
- Count to four. Most tiles come in sets of four. If all four are free, remove both pairs, since they can never trap you. If only three are free, think about which one to leave behind.
- Don't strand a partner. Before you take a pair, check that the other two copies are not stuck under each other. A tile that sits under its own last match can never be cleared.
- Open both ends of long rows. A row can only be worked from its free ends. Opening both ends gives you twice as many choices.
- Save your hint and shuffle. You only get one of each for the whole game, so keep them for the big boards of the later ranks.
- Use Undo freely. It costs nothing, so explore a line of play and step back if it leads nowhere.
- In Chaos Mode, defuse first. Firecrackers are on a timer, so make clearing them your first priority. Match the golden-key pairs early too, before the locked tiles get in your way.
Controls
Tap or click tiles to play. On a keyboard you can also use:
- Arrow keys to move between tiles, and Enter to pick one
- H for a hint, Z to undo and S to shuffle
- Esc to pause
Frequently asked questions
- Is every game winnable?
- Yes. Every deal starts with at least one full solution. You can still block yourself with the order of your moves, which is what Undo and Shuffle are for.
- Do I need an account?
- No. Just open the page and play.
- Where is my progress saved?
- In your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data or switching to another device starts you from the beginning.
- Does it work offline or on mobile?
- The game runs in any modern mobile or desktop browser. You need a connection to load it the first time.