Why can't I select a tile?
If you keep clicking a tile and nothing happens, the game is not broken. That tile is simply blocked, and there is always a clear reason why.
The two reasons a tile is locked
A tile refuses to select for one of two reasons:
- It is covered. Another tile is resting on top of it, even partly. Covered tiles can never be picked until whatever is on them is removed.
- It is pinned. Tiles are touching both its left and right sides at once, so it cannot slide out either way.
How to unlock it
To free a blocked tile, work on its neighbors. Remove the tile sitting on top of it, or clear a tile on its left or right to open a side. As you peel the stack apart, tiles that were stuck become free. This is the core puzzle of every layout.
When nothing seems to move
If several tiles look stuck and you cannot find any legal pair, you may be near a dead board. Do not panic. A hint will highlight a valid pair if one exists, and Shuffle can reset a gridlock. For the full rule, read what makes a tile free.
Related questions
What does it mean for a tile to be free?
A tile is free when two things are true: no tile is stacked on top of it, and at least one of its left or right long sides is open. Only free tiles can be selected, so understanding this rule is the key to the whole game.
How do matching tiles work?
Most tiles match only another tile that looks exactly the same, such as two Bamboo 3s or two West Winds. The special case is bonus tiles: any Flower matches any other Flower, and any Season matches any other Season, even if the pictures differ.
What is a hint in Mahjong Solitaire?
A hint highlights a pair of free tiles that you can legally match right now. It is a helper for when you are stuck or cannot spot a move, showing you one valid option without solving the whole board for you. Using hints is optional and does not end your game.
What is a dead board in Mahjong?
A dead board is a gridlock. Tiles are still on the board, but no two free tiles match, so there is no legal move left. It usually happens after removing pairs in a bad order. On Mahjong.now you can Shuffle the tiles or Undo to escape it, since every board is solvable.