Mahjong Solitaire for beginners: the rules in plain English
Mahjong Solitaire looks complicated, with its stacks of patterned tiles, but the rules fit in a paragraph. Once you know them, it becomes one of the most relaxing puzzles there is.
The goal
Remove every tile from the board. You do that by picking matching pairs, two at a time. When the board is empty, you win.
What counts as a match
Two tiles match when they show the same symbol in the same color. In Mahjong Voyage, tiles use large, simple shapes and colors so matches are easy to see.
The one rule that matters: free tiles
You can only pick a tile that is free. A tile is free when:
- no other tile is stacked on top of it, and
- its left side or its right side is open (at least one of them).
Tiles that aren’t free look slightly darker in Mahjong Voyage, so you don’t have to work it out every time.
How to avoid getting stuck
The only way to lose is to run out of free pairs. These habits help:
- Start at the top. Tiles on the highest layers block the most other tiles. Clearing them first opens up the board.
- Work on long rows. A long row can only be cleared from its ends. Start early so you’re not left with a wall of tiles.
- Choose wisely with three or four. If you can see three matching tiles, pick the pair that frees the most new tiles.
- Don’t rush. There’s no timer. Look before you tap.
Isn’t Mahjong a four-player game?
Traditional Mahjong is a four-player game played with the same tiles, with very different rules. Mahjong Solitaire borrows the tiles for a quiet one-player matching puzzle. That’s the game we play here.
Start your Mahjong Voyage in Paris and see how far you travel.