Mahjong Solitaire

Match pairs of open tiles until the board is clear. Free, no sign-up.

Setting out the tiles…

How to play mahjong solitaire

  • Match two identical tiles. Tap or click one tile, then its twin, and both leave the board.

  • Only open tiles can move. A tile is open when nothing sits on top of it and its left or right side is clear. In this row the middle tile is blocked on both sides. Blocked tiles give a little shake when you tap them.

  • Flowers match flowers, seasons match seasons. The four flower tiles all match each other, even with different pictures. The four season tiles work the same way.

Clear all 144 tiles to win. If no pairs are left, press Shuffle to rearrange the remaining tiles, or Undo your last moves. Every board is dealt so that it can be cleared. Read the full guide.

Which tiles match

A full set has 144 tiles. Most come in groups of four identical tiles, and a tile matches only its twins. The exceptions are the flowers and the seasons. Read about every tile.

Dots. Circles, numbered 1 to 9. Four of each.
Bamboo. Sticks, numbered 1 to 9. The 1 of bamboo is drawn as a bird.
Characters. A Chinese numeral above the red character 萬 (ten thousand), 1 to 9.
Winds. East, South, West and North.
Dragons. Red 中, green 發 and white, drawn as a blue frame.
Flowers. Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo. Any two flowers match.
Seasons. Spring, summer, autumn and winter. Any two seasons match.

All layouts

Daily mahjong

One new board every day, the same for every player. Clear it to start a streak, and come back tomorrow to keep it going. The layout changes each day.

Play today's board

Mahjong Connect

A different way to play with the same tiles: everything lies flat, and two matching tiles go when a line with at most two bends can join them.

Play Mahjong Connect

Tips for clearing the board

  • Open the long rows first. Tiles at the ends of long rows block the tiles beside them. Clearing the ends gives you more choices later.
  • Uncover stacked tiles early. A tile that sits on top of others is worth more than a tile that blocks nothing. Prefer pairs that reveal new tiles.
  • Choose carefully when three of a kind are open. Take the pair that frees the most tiles, and keep the third for later. When all four are open, remove them all.
  • Save flowers and seasons. They match each other freely, so keep them for the moment you need to open a stubborn stack.
  • Use the hint to learn. The hint suggests the pair that uncovers the most tiles, not just any legal move.

Questions

Is it free?

Yes. Every layout, the daily board and all features are free, with no sign-up. The site is paid for by ads.

Can every game be won?

Yes. Each board is dealt so that a winning order of moves exists. You can still get stuck by taking the wrong pairs; when that happens, undo a few moves or shuffle the tiles that are left.

Does it work on my phone or tablet?

Yes, in any modern browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. On a phone held upright, wide layouts turn sideways so the tiles stay big enough to tap.

Will my game be saved?

Your unfinished game is saved in this browser. Close the tab, come back later, and carry on where you stopped. Clearing your browser's site data removes it.

What do the small numbers in the tile corners mean?

They show the tile's number (1 to 9) or its wind (E, S, W, N), for players who don't read the Chinese characters. You can turn them off in Settings.

Can I replay a game or challenge a friend?

Each game has a number in the address bar, like ?n=482911. Open the same address to play the same board again, or send it to a friend and compare times.

Is this the same game as four-player mahjong?

No. Mahjong solitaire is a one-player matching game that uses the same tiles. Four-player mahjong is a game of drawing and discarding tiles to build winning hands.