Mahjong Solitaire: free tiles, matching and blocked pairs
Mahjong Solitaire asks two separate questions: do these tiles match, and can both be removed? Reading the layers and side access is more useful than searching only for duplicate pictures.
An open top and one open side
A free tile has no overlapping tile above it and at least one open horizontal side, left or right. It does not need both sides clear. An uncovered tile blocked on both sides at its own level cannot be removed.
Check both members of a proposed pair. One accessible tile does not make its covered partner playable. Layer height and overlapping positions matter even when you can see part of the lower tile's face.
Match the category as well as the picture
Ordinary tiles match by suit and value or symbol. Equal numbers from different suits do not match. Winds and dragons need their corresponding symbol, rather than simply any tile from that broad category.
Flowers match other flowers regardless of illustration; seasons match other seasons. The two groups remain separate, so a flower cannot pair with a season. The full 144-tile set includes four flowers and four seasons, allowing two pairs within each group.
Think about the fourth copy
When three copies of an ordinary tile are free, choosing two changes the access you keep. Look for the fourth and check what each free copy covers or blocks. Removing the first pair you notice can leave the remaining matching tiles difficult to reach.
Opening a layer or a side often supplies useful new choices, but no single selection rule guarantees a win. Jade Garden generates opening deals with a complete removal sequence. A different sequence of individually legal pairs can still lead to a blocked position.
Hints, undo and shuffle do different jobs
A hint identifies an available legal pair, not a proven route through the remaining board. Undo revisits a removal. Shuffle reassigns faces among the remaining positions and produces a solvable sequence without changing the layout's geometry.
Help uses share one allowance: unlimited in Relaxed, six in Classic and three in Challenge. That is not six uses of each tool. Classic and Challenge also deduct points for help; shuffle clears the earlier removal history. Read the remaining allowance before assuming a decision can be undone.
Know which Mahjong you are playing
This is a single-player tile-removal puzzle, not multiplayer hand-building Mahjong. Clear all 144 tiles to win. The browser edition provides five layouts and three modes, with local progress and records.
Its daily deal uses the local calendar date and chosen layout, unlike games that reset on UTC. Click or tap tiles, or navigate with arrows and confirm with Enter. H requests a hint, U undoes and R restarts. None of those local records imply a worldwide leaderboard.
Keep playing
Every game page lists its current version and controls and offers a fullscreen play view.
Explore the collection: Puzzle Games