Mahjong solitaire is a one-player matching game played with mahjong tiles stacked in a layout. Tap two free tiles with the same picture to remove them. A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and its left or right side is open. Remove every tile to win. That's the whole game; the skill is in choosing which pair to take when there's more than one.
Which tiles are free?
A tile can be picked when both of these are true:
- Nothing lies on top of it, not even partly. A tile half-covered by a tile on the layer above is blocked.
- Its left side or its right side is open. Tiles next to each other in a row block each other's sides, so in a row of five, only the two at the ends are free.
Tiles above and below in the same layer don't block each other: only left and right count. In Tilefold, tiles you can't pick yet are shaded darker (you can turn this off in Settings), so the free ones stand out.
Which tiles match?
Two tiles match when they show the same picture: two 3 of Dots, two Red Dragons, two East Winds. There are two exceptions:
- Any flower matches any flower.
- Any season matches any season.
A full mahjong set has four of every ordinary tile, so each picture is removed in two pairs. The mahjong tiles guide shows the whole set.
How to win, and how you get stuck
You win when the board is empty. You're stuck when tiles remain but no two free tiles match. That usually happens because both tiles of the last available pair were buried under the same stack, or because an earlier choice used up the wrong pair.
Playing in Tilefold
- Tap a free tile. It turns gold.
- Tap its match. Both tiles slide away. Tap the first tile again to put it back down.
- Hint shows a pair you can take, and prefers one that keeps the board clearable. You get 3 free hints per level.
- Undo takes back your last pair, as many times as you like.
- Shuffle rearranges the tiles that are left so new pairs open up. You get 2 free shuffles per level.
Tilefold deals every level so that it can be cleared. If you get stuck, it's because of the pairs taken, so undo a few moves or shuffle. If even a shuffle can't help (a few tiles left in a single stack, for example), Tilefold tells you and suggests undoing instead.
Three habits that help from the first game
- Look before you tap. Count how many tiles of a picture are free. If all four are free, any two pairs will do. If three are free, think about which one to leave.
- Uncover first. Prefer pairs that free a tile underneath or open a long row.
- Don't rush. There's no timer pressure; the clock only records your best time.
Want to clear more boards? Read the mahjong solitaire strategy guide next.
