Mahjong Solitaire: Rules and How to Play
A mahjong-tile solitaire race: everyone gets the same stacked layout, starts on 3-2-1 and races to clear it by taking matching tiles. 1–20 players, about 5 minutes. Free, no sign-up.
Objective
Take matching mahjong tiles two at a time from a stacked pile until none are left. Here everyone gets the same layout, and the faster you clear it, the higher you rank. Every layout is built so it can be cleared to the end.
Setup
- 1–20 players. Alone, you can chase your best time or race the CPU.
- Choose Intro, Easy, Medium or Hard. Higher levels have more tiles and a taller pile.
- Everyone gets the same layout and starts together on 3-2-1 (the tile faces are hidden until then).
How to play
- You can take a tile only if nothing is on top of it and its left or right side is open. Tiles you can't take are striped, and tapping one shows why. Tap two matching free tiles, one after the other, to take both.
- Flower and season tiles (optional): any flower matches any flower and any season matches any season, even though the pictures differ.
- When no pair is left you are stuck. [Shuffle] re-deals the remaining tiles so they can be cleared to the end again (the number of shuffles and a penalty pause are settings). [Hint] (optional) lights up a pair you can take.
- There are no turns: everyone solves their own board at their own pace. You can't see other boards; the top three names and their progress (%) are shown at the edge of the screen, plus your own rank if you are 4th or lower.
- Progress is the share of tiles you have taken.
Winning and scoring
- The layout is cleared when every tile is taken. Finishers are ranked by time.
- You can keep playing after the target time. Finishers within the limit rank ahead of later finishers, ordered by completion time. Players who press [Quit] rank last. Rounds that go past the limit earn no points.
- The round ends when all human players finish or quit, even if CPUs are still solving. Humans can keep playing if a CPU finishes first. After 60 minutes from the start, results use the progress so far. Unfinished players rank by progress. [Play again] starts the next round.
- With the handicap on, the winner's next layout is one level up (more if they keep winning). Ranking is still by time.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 1–20 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | The number of tiles. It grows with each level (Stacked 34/68/94/136). | Easy | Yes |
| Flowers and seasons | Adds plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo and the four seasons. Flowers match flowers; seasons match seasons. | Off | Yes |
| ShufflesShufflesA shuffle makes the remaining tiles clearable to the end again. Once used up, a stuck player can only [Quit] (ranked by progress). | How many times you may re-deal the remaining tiles when no pair is left. | Up to 3 | Yes |
| Shuffle penalty | A pause after shuffling during which tiles can't be tapped. | None | Yes |
| Hints | A button that lights up a pair you can take. | Up to 3 | Yes |
| Handicap the winnerHandicap the winnerWhen on, the previous round's winner clears a layout one level up (more tiles). Each further win adds another level; losing returns you to the chosen difficulty. Even when layouts differ, ranking is by finishing time. | Only the winner gets a layout one level up next time. | Off | Yes |
| Time limit | Your target time. Play continues after it and the clock counts overtime. At 60 minutes from the start, results use your progress. | 10 min | Yes |
Terms
- Stacked
- A pile of tiles in several layers. Only tiles with nothing on top and an open left or right side can be taken.
- Stuck
- No pair can be taken. Use [Shuffle] to carry on.
- Flowers and seasons
- Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo and spring, summer, autumn, winter. Flowers match flowers; seasons match seasons.
- Progress
- The share (%) of tiles you have taken.
- Handicap
- A setting that makes the winner's next layout one level up.
- Personal best
- Your fastest clear at that level on this device.
FAQ
What are the rules?
Take matching tiles two at a time from the pile. A tile can be taken only if nothing is on top and its left or right side is open. The layout is cleared when every tile is gone.
What are flower and season tiles?
Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo and spring, summer, autumn, winter. When turned on, any flower matches any flower and any season matches any season.
What if no pair is left?
[Shuffle] re-deals the remaining tiles. The number of shuffles and a penalty pause are settings.
How is the ranking decided?
By finishing order (shortest time first). Players who timed out are ranked by progress, and players who quit rank last.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-05 · Run by Qdan, Inc.