About Mahjong Levels
Mahjong Levels is 30 layouts played in order, from small and open to big and tricky: the Little Bridge and the Garden Path at the start, the Fortress, the Owl and the Dragon Gate in the middle, and the Great Pyramid, the Citadel and the full 144-tile Turtle at the end. Each level is the same deal every time. Beat one to unlock the next, and earn up to three stars for clearing it without hints or shuffles. Your progress is saved in your browser.
Mahjong solitaire is a one-player matching game played with the 144 tiles of a mahjong set, stacked into a layered pattern. Take away matching pairs of free tiles until the whole stack is gone. Every board here is dealt so that it can be cleared, so the only thing between you and an empty table is the order you pick.
Also called: mahjong, mahjongg, tile matching.
How to play Mahjong Solitaire
- Look for two tiles with the same face that are both free. Free tiles look slightly brighter; blocked tiles are dimmed.
- Click or tap the first tile to select it, then click its twin. The pair lifts off the board.
- Click a selected tile again to deselect it, or click a different free tile to change your pick.
- Stuck? Hint (H) highlights a pair you can take, Undo (U) takes back any number of moves, and Shuffle (S) re-deals the tiles that are left.
- Clear every tile to win. Your time is recorded, and your best time shows in the toolbar.
Rules
- A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it, even partly, and at least one of its long sides, left or right, is open. Tiles above or below it on the same layer do not block it.
- Two free tiles match when their faces are identical: the same number in the same suit, the same wind, or the same dragon.
- Flowers (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo) are all different, but any flower matches any other flower. The same goes for the four seasons.
- The set has dots, bamboo and characters numbered 1 to 9, four winds (東 East, 南 South, 西 West, 北 North) and three dragons (red 中, green 發 and the framed white dragon), four of each, plus one of each flower and season: 144 tiles.
- The turtle has five layers. The single tile on top and the tiles on the far left and far right are free from the start. The left end tile blocks the two rows it touches, and the pair of end tiles on the right come off outer one first.
- A shuffle puts the tiles that are left back on the same spots in a new order that can still be cleared. Shuffles are unlimited, but they are counted.
Mahjong Solitaire tips and strategy
- Open the long rows first. The ends of the middle rows, and the side tiles, hold back the most tiles.
- Work from the top down. The top tile and the upper layers cover many tiles each, so removing them opens the most choices.
- When all four of a kind are free, take both pairs. They cannot be needed for anything else.
- Be careful when three of a kind are free. Keep the one that is not blocking anything, and use the two that are.
- Watch for twins stacked on each other. If two copies of a tile lie in the same stack, you will need one of the other two copies to free them, so do not use both of those elsewhere.
- A hint shows a move that keeps the board solvable when it can find one quickly, so it is a good way to learn which pairs matter.
Mahjong Solitaire questions
Is every game winnable?
Yes. Each board is built backwards from an empty table, placing matching pairs only where they would both be free, so there is always at least one way to clear it. You can still paint yourself into a corner by taking pairs in the wrong order; undo or shuffle to get out.
Why can't I select a tile?
It is blocked. A tile needs nothing on top of it, and an open left side or an open right side. A tile with neighbours on both its left and right is stuck until one of them goes, even if nothing covers it.
Do flowers and seasons have to match exactly?
No. Any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season. A flower never matches a season.
What does Shuffle do?
It rearranges the tiles still on the board onto the same positions, dealt so the board can be finished again. It is useful when no moves are left. The number of shuffles is shown in your result.
Is this the same as mahjong?
It uses mahjong tiles, but it is a different game. Mahjong is a four-player game about building hands. Mahjong solitaire is a matching puzzle for one player.
Is my game saved?
Yes. Your board, undo history and time are saved in your browser after every move, so you can close the tab and carry on later. Level progress and stars are saved in your browser too.
Which mode should I play?
New to mahjong solitaire? Start with Easy: small, open boards of 36 to 56 tiles with plenty of free pairs. Levels takes you through 30 layouts in order, from a little two-layer bridge to the full turtle, so the difficulty climbs one step at a time. Turtle is the classic 144-tile board with a fresh deal every game, and Daily is one turtle a day, the same for everyone.
How do stars work in Levels?
Clear a level with no hints and no shuffles for three stars. Using up to three hints and shuffles in all earns two stars, and any clear earns one. Undo is always free. Replay a level any time to improve its stars or its best time.
Are smaller boards played with fewer tiles?
Yes. A smaller layout uses a smaller set, chosen in complete groups of four, so every tile still has its matches. Flowers and seasons only appear on the bigger boards.
Is Mahjong Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Mahjong Solitaire on Kultured Arcade is completely free: no download, no account and nothing to buy. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do I need to download Mahjong Solitaire?
No. It opens instantly in your browser and saves your progress on your device, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up.
Can I play Mahjong Solitaire on my phone?
Yes. The game fits your screen and works with touch as well as a mouse and keyboard, on iPhone, Android, tablets and computers.
Is there a daily Mahjong Solitaire puzzle?
Yes. A new daily Mahjong Solitaire is published at 00:00 UTC, the same for every player, so you can compare results with friends.