How to Play Mahjong Solitaire

A relaxing tile-matching puzzle — no opponents, no rush

Play it here: https://mahjon.gg

Despite the name, this isn’t the multiplayer tile game played with dice and racks — Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player puzzle. Tiles are arranged in a layered pattern, and your job is to clear the whole board by finding matching pairs.

What You’ll Need

• A computer, laptop, or tablet with an internet connection
• No download or account needed — it’s completely free
• A little patience — some layouts take 10-20 minutes to fully clear

The Tile Layout
Tiles are stacked in layers, like a small pyramid. You can only pick a tile if it is completely uncovered on top, AND has at least one long side (left or right) that isn’t blocked by a neighboring tile.

Which Tiles Can You Pick?
This is the one rule to remember. Before clicking anything, take a moment to spot which tiles are actually free to play.

Matching Pairs
Once you’ve found two identical, free tiles, them is simple.

1. Click the first free tile — it will highlight to show it’s selected.
2. Click the second, matching free tile. If they truly match, both disappear from the board.
3. Keep going — removing tiles often frees up new ones underneath or beside them.
4. Clear every tile from the board to win the game!

Tips for Success

• Stuck and can’t find a match? Click “Hint” and the game will highlight a pair for you.
• Truly stuck with no possible moves left? Click “Shuffle” to rearrange the remaining tiles without losing your progress.
• Click “Undo” if you matched the wrong pair by accident.
• Try to clear tiles from the tallest stacks first — this uncovers new options faster.

If Something Goes Wrong

• Clicked a tile and nothing happened? It’s probably blocked — check that nothing sits on top of it and one side is open.
• Two identical-looking tiles won’t match? Look closely — some tile sets have very similar-looking symbols. Zooming in on your browser (Ctrl and + on Windows, Cmd and + on Mac) can help.
• Board feels impossible? Use the Shuffle button rather than starting over — your progress is kept.

Mahjong Solitaire is wonderful for practicing visual scanning and pattern recognition — and there’s no clock pressuring you, so take all the time you like.