How to play Mahjong
Mahjong tile matching is a one-player puzzle played with the tiles of the old Chinese game: three suits numbered one to nine (dots, bamboo and characters), plus the four winds and the three dragons. The tiles lie in stacked layers, and the aim is to clear the board by matching identical tiles in pairs.
Play it here free in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download or sign-up. Each level is a fixed board, the same for every player, and every one of them can be won. Tap free tiles into the tray, clear pairs and work your way up: the boards grow and the tray holds fewer tiles as you go.
The goal
Clear every tile from the board. A level is won when the board and the tray are both empty.
The rules
A level takes nothing but taps, and five rules:
- Free tiles. A tile can be tapped when no other tile lies on top of it, even partly, and its left or right side is open. Tiles you can’t take yet are shown darker.
- The tray. A tapped tile moves into the tray above the board and waits there for its partner.
- Pairs. Two identical tiles in the tray clear at once. A tile only pairs with its own twin: the same suit and number, the same wind or the same dragon.
- Winning. Clear the board and the tray, and the level is done. The next one opens straight away.
- A full tray. If the tray is full and no free tile pairs with anything in it, the level is lost. Start the level again to have another go.
Levels
The first levels give the tray five places and use small boards. From level 6 the tray shrinks to four places, and further on the boards grow bigger and deeper and more different tiles come in. Every level is dealt from its number so that it can always be won, and any level you have finished can be replayed from the Levels menu to beat your best.
Score and IQ
Every pair is worth 10 points, doubled or tripled when you clear pairs quickly one after another, and a level finished fast earns a speed bonus. IQ shows how well you play: it starts at 40, grows with every level won (more for a quick win) and never goes down. It counts your best result on each level, so replaying a level raises it only if you do better.
Tips
Three tips for beginners
- Read the whole board. Before you tap, look at which tiles you will need next and what is covering them, and work on freeing those.
- Twins on top of each other. If two identical tiles lie one on the other, start with the top one: the one underneath can’t come free until it has gone, and then the pair is quick to finish.
- Free as many tiles as you can. The more tiles are free, the easier it is to find a pair, so clear the tiles that cover others first, especially on tall stacks.
Once you have the hang of it, a few more habits help you win levels without hints:
- Clear pairs first. If a free tile matches one in the tray, take it before anything else.
- Look for two free twins. Two identical free tiles clear together and never use up room in the tray.
- Keep room in the tray. Leave at least two places open whenever you can: one for a tile and one for its partner.
- Remember what is hidden. Every face comes an even number of times. While two of a kind are still buried, the ones on top can wait.
Questions and answers
Is this the same as Chinese mahjong?
No. Mahjong for four players is a game like rummy, where you build hands from these tiles. This is a solitaire that uses the same tiles: you only match pairs and clear the board.
Can every level be won?
Yes. Every board is built backwards from a winning order of moves, so there is always a way through, even with a four-place tray.
What happens when the tray fills up?
The level stops until you start it again. Losing costs nothing, and the level waits for you.
What is IQ?
A measure of how well you play, starting from 40. It grows with every level won, more for quick wins, and it never goes down.
Is it free?
Yes, every level is free to play.
Is my progress saved?
Your game is saved in this browser after every move, so a reload picks it up where you left it. Sign in, and your levels, IQ and XP are kept on your account on every device.
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