Mahjong Rules
Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile game built around one satisfying idea: take a stacked pile of mahjong tiles and clear it away, two matching tiles at a time. Every layout is the same game with a different arrangement of tiles. You look for tiles that are free - not covered by any tile and open on the left or right - find two that match, and remove the pair. Do that until the whole board is empty and you win. What changes between layouts is only the shape: how tall the stack is, where the tiles hide, and how many are free at any moment.
This page collects the rules for every layout on Mahjong.now. Each section covers the goal, the legal moves, and the details that trip up new players, with a link to jump straight into a game. If you are brand new, start with the Turtle (the classic), warm up with the open Cat, then work up to a tall Tower once the free-tile rule feels natural.
💡 New to Mahjong Solitaire? Every layout below shares the same core rule - remove matching pairs of free tiles until the board is clear. Learn one and the rest come quickly.
Every Mahjong layout at a glance
Skim the whole family first, then jump to the full rules for any layout below.
| Layout | Tiles | Layers | Difficulty | Clear rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle | 144 | 4 | Easy to learn | Around 85% of Turtle deals clear with careful, unhurried play |
| Pyramid | 120 | 4 | Moderate | Roughly 70% clear once you learn to work the corners |
| Fortress | 128 | 3 | Moderate | About 65% clear once the walls are opened in the right order |
| Dragon | 144 | 4 | Moderate | Around 75% clear when you work the long body from both ends |
| Butterfly | 136 | 3 | Moderate | Roughly 70% clear when both wings are worked in step |
| Cat | 120 | 3 | Easy to moderate | About 78% clear thanks to its open, rounded shape |
| Spider | 112 | 3 | Moderate to hard | Around 60% clear once you time the legs and body right |
| Tower | 112 | 7 | Hard | Around 45% clear - Deep stacking makes this a real test |
| Gate | 128 | 4 | Hard | About 55% clear when the pillars are opened before the arch |
| Crab | 128 | 3 | Moderate to hard | Around 60% clear when claws and legs go before the shell |
| Cross | 100 | 3 | Hard | About 50% clear when all four arms are worked in balance |
Classic Layouts
Turtle Mahjong
144 tiles · 4 layers · Easy to learn · Around 85% of Turtle deals clear with careful, unhurried play
Turtle Mahjong is the layout that made Mahjong Solitaire famous: a wide, symmetric mound of 144 tiles stacked up to five layers high, said to resemble a turtle's shell. You clear it by finding pairs of matching tiles that are 'free' - not buried under another tile and open on the left or right - and removing them two at a time until the table is bare. The three suits (Circles, Bamboo and Characters), the Winds, the Dragons and the bonus Flowers and Seasons are all in play, so there is a lot to scan. The Turtle is generous enough that beginners can win with patience, yet its buried center rewards players who open the board thoughtfully instead of grabbing the first pair they spot. Every Turtle on Mahjong.now is generated to be solvable, so a lost game is always a puzzle you could have cracked.
Goal
Remove all 144 tiles by matching free pairs. Clear the whole Turtle and you win; the faster you do it, the higher you rank.
Free tiles
A tile is free when nothing is stacked on top of it and it has an open edge on its left or right side. Only free tiles can be selected.
Matching
Tap one free tile to select it, then tap a second matching free tile to remove the pair. Both tiles must show the same face.
Flowers and seasons
The four Flower tiles all match each other, and the four Season tiles all match each other - they are the only tiles that do not need an exact twin.
Winning and shuffling
Keep uncovering the buried center as you clear the wings. If you run out of moves, use Shuffle to redistribute the remaining tiles and keep going.
Pyramid Mahjong
120 tiles · 4 layers · Moderate · Roughly 70% clear once you learn to work the corners
Pyramid Mahjong stacks its tiles into a neat four-sided pyramid that rises to a single tile at the peak. Because each layer sits centered on the one below, only the tiles around the outer edge of every step are ever free, which makes the Pyramid a more disciplined puzzle than the sprawling Turtle. You still match identical free tiles two at a time, but here the board funnels you toward its four corners and sloping sides, and the tiles buried directly under the peak are the last to open. It is a clean, symmetric layout that teaches you to read stacks vertically - to see which tile is trapping which - rather than just scanning a wide field for easy pairs. Every Pyramid on Mahjong.now is built to be solvable, so the challenge is always the order, never the luck.
Goal
Dismantle the entire pyramid by matching free tiles in pairs until every tile, right up to the peak, is gone.
Reading the steps
Each layer is smaller than the one below it, so the free tiles are the ones around the outside edge of each step where a side is open.
Matching
Select a free tile, then a matching free tile, to remove both. Corner tiles are usually free first because two of their sides are exposed.
The buried core
Tiles directly beneath the upper steps stay locked until you peel the layers above them, so plan which corner to open first.
Getting unstuck
If no pair is available, Shuffle reshuffles the remaining tiles into a solvable arrangement, and Undo lets you rewind a match you regret.
Fortress Mahjong
128 tiles · 3 layers · Moderate · About 65% clear once the walls are opened in the right order
Fortress Mahjong builds its tiles into a walled stronghold: a thick rectangular rampart of stacked tiles surrounding a raised central keep. The outer walls are free along their tops and corners, but the tiles packed into the wall faces and the keep stay locked until you breach the structure from the right side. It is a satisfying, architectural puzzle - you are quite literally taking a castle apart tile by tile. The rules are the standard Mahjong Solitaire rules: match identical free tiles in pairs, with Flowers and Seasons matching within their own groups. What makes the Fortress distinct is how its dense, book-ended walls limit your open edges, so you must choose which section of rampart to collapse first. Every Fortress on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the walls can always be brought down with the right plan.
Goal
Tear down the whole fortress - outer walls, corners and inner keep - by matching free tiles until nothing is left standing.
The walls
The rampart tiles are free along the top of each wall and at the corners. Tiles wedged between other tiles in a wall face are blocked until a neighbor is removed.
Matching
Pick a free tile, then a matching free tile, to clear both. Corners and wall-tops open first because they have an exposed side.
The keep
The raised center is guarded by the walls around it. Breach a wall to give the keep an open edge, then work inward.
Breaking a siege
If the walls jam and no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can breach elsewhere.
Picture Layouts
Dragon Mahjong
144 tiles · 4 layers · Moderate · Around 75% clear when you work the long body from both ends
Dragon Mahjong lays its 144 tiles out as a long, sinuous dragon - a stretched body with a raised head, a tapering tail and stacked ridges running down its spine. The elongated shape means most tiles have an open left or right edge somewhere along the body, so there is usually a move to find, but the raised spine hides pairs that only open as you thin the creature down. It is one of the most approachable Picture layouts: the rules never change - match identical free tiles, with Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - but the theme turns a solve into something that feels like carefully unwinding a dragon from head to tail. Every Dragon on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the coil can always be undone with the right order of matches.
Goal
Clear the entire dragon - head, body, spine and tail - by matching free tiles in pairs until the creature is gone.
The long body
Because the dragon is stretched out, most body tiles have an open side, so there are usually several matches available at once along its length.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile to remove them. The head and tail tips are almost always free first.
The spine
Stacked tiles run along the dragon's back and stay covered until you clear the tiles beside them, so thin the body to expose the ridge.
If it coils shut
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles and Undo rewinds a match so you can open the body differently.
Butterfly Mahjong
136 tiles · 3 layers · Moderate · Roughly 70% clear when both wings are worked in step
Butterfly Mahjong spreads its tiles into two broad, mirror-image wings joined by a slim central body. The symmetry is the whole puzzle: the same tile faces tend to sit in matching spots on the left and right wings, so you often clear pairs across the body from one wing to the other. Working the wings evenly keeps the butterfly balanced and the open edges flowing; let one wing get ahead and the other can jam. The rules are the familiar Mahjong Solitaire rules - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their own groups - but the mirrored layout makes it feel like folding the board in half as you solve. Every Butterfly on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so a balanced, patient player can always bring both wings down.
Goal
Clear both wings and the body of the butterfly by matching free tiles in pairs until every tile is gone.
The wings
The layout is mirror-symmetric, so free tiles usually appear in matching positions on the left and right wings - and you can match a pair across the body.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. The outer wing edges and the wingtips are open first.
The body
The slim central body joins the wings and clears as the inner wing edges retreat, so keep both wings moving inward together.
Rebalancing
If a wing stalls, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can even the wings out.
Cat Mahjong
120 tiles · 3 layers · Easy to moderate · About 78% clear thanks to its open, rounded shape
Cat Mahjong arranges its tiles into a curled, contented cat - pointed ears, a rounded body, tucked paws and a sweeping tail. It is one of the friendliest Picture layouts: the rounded silhouette leaves plenty of open edges, the ears and tail tip are free almost immediately, and there is no deep buried core to fight, so beginners find it welcoming and quick. The rules are the standard ones - match identical free tiles two at a time, with Flowers and Seasons matching within their own groups - and the theme just makes the solve charming. It is a lovely layout to relax with, but it still has enough shape in the body and tail to reward tidy, deliberate matching. Every Cat on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the whole cat can always be unpicked, ears to tail.
Goal
Clear the entire cat - ears, body, paws and tail - by matching free tiles in pairs until nothing remains.
Open shape
The rounded body and pointed ears leave many tiles with an open side, so there are usually several matches to choose from.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile to remove them. The ear tips and the tail tip are almost always free first.
Body and tail
The slightly stacked body and curling tail hide a few pairs that open as you thin the tiles around them.
If the cat curls up
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can try a different order.
Spider Mahjong
112 tiles · 3 layers · Moderate to hard · Around 60% clear once you time the legs and body right
Spider Mahjong builds a compact central body with eight legs radiating outward, each leg a short run of tiles reaching across the table. The legs are the puzzle: their tips are free immediately, but the tiles where each leg joins the body stay locked until the leg is cleared, and the raised body only opens once enough legs are gone. It plays tighter than the open Picture layouts - you have to decide which legs to retract and in what order so the body is never sealed off. The rules are unchanged - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - but the radial shape makes for a genuinely strategic solve. Every Spider on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so all eight legs and the body can always be cleared with the right plan of attack.
Goal
Clear the spider's eight legs and its central body by matching free tiles in pairs until the whole creature is gone.
The legs
Each leg is a short run of tiles. The tip of a leg is free first, and clearing inward along a leg frees the next tile each time.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. Match leg tiles against each other or against the body as they open.
The body
The raised central body is covered until you retract enough legs to give its tiles an open edge, so plan which legs to clear first.
If it freezes
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can retract a different leg.
Challenge Layouts
Tower Mahjong
112 tiles · 7 layers · Hard · Around 45% clear - Deep stacking makes this a real test
Tower Mahjong stacks its tiles up into a tall, narrow tower - far more layers than a classic layout, with a small footprint. That vertical build is the whole challenge: only the tiles around the rim of each level are free, deeply buried tiles wait under many others, and a single wrong match can strand a pair near the base for the rest of the game. There are fewer moves available at any moment than in a wide layout, so every match has to count. The rules are the standard Mahjong Solitaire rules - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - but the Tower rewards careful, layer-by-layer planning over quick scanning. Every Tower on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so even this deep stack can always be brought down by a player who reads it from the top.
Goal
Bring the whole tower down by matching free tiles in pairs, level by level, until the base is clear.
Deep layers
The tower is many tiles tall, so only the rim tiles of each level are free. Deeply buried tiles wait until the levels above them are removed.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. The top of the tower and the outer rim of each level open first.
Base tiles
Tiles near the base stay covered longest, so avoid stranding both copies of a tile deep in the stack.
If it locks up
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can descend in a different order.
Gate Mahjong
128 tiles · 4 layers · Hard · About 55% clear when the pillars are opened before the arch
Gate Mahjong builds a grand ceremonial gateway: two tall pillars of stacked tiles supporting a wide arch across the top, framing an open central passage. The pillars are dense and the arch is only free along its upper edge, so the puzzle is figuring out how to dismantle the structure without collapsing your own access - clear the arch too early and the pillar tops jam; clear the pillars unevenly and the arch is left stranded. It is one of the more architectural Challenge layouts, demanding that you think about load-bearing order. The rules stay the same - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - but the structure makes sequence everything. Every Gate on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the gateway can always be taken down cleanly with the right order of matches.
Goal
Dismantle the whole gateway - both pillars and the arch - by matching free tiles in pairs until the gate is gone.
Pillars and arch
The two pillars are dense stacks free at their tops and outer edges; the arch across the top is free along its upper rim.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. Pillar tops and the arch's crown open first.
Load-bearing order
The arch rests on the pillars, so keep the pillars retreating evenly and do not strand the arch above a half-cleared pillar.
If the gate jams
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can rebalance the structure.
Crab Mahjong
128 tiles · 3 layers · Moderate to hard · Around 60% clear when claws and legs go before the shell
Crab Mahjong sculpts its tiles into a broad-shelled crab with two big front claws and a fan of side legs. The claws and legs stick out with free tips, but the wide central shell is a raised, stacked mound that only opens once you have retracted enough limbs. That gives the Crab a two-stage feel: first you deal with the sprawling pincers and legs, then you crack the shell. It sits at the tougher end of the Picture-into-Challenge range because the shell can seal off if you clear limbs carelessly. The rules are the usual ones - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - but the shape asks you to sequence limbs and shell thoughtfully. Every Crab on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the shell always cracks for a player who clears in the right order.
Goal
Clear the whole crab - claws, legs and shell - by matching free tiles in pairs until nothing is left.
Claws and legs
The two claws and the side legs stick out with free tips, so they open first and are cleared inward toward the body.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. Claw tips and leg tips are almost always free at the start.
The shell
The broad central shell is raised and covered until the limbs beside it retract, so free the limbs before attacking the shell.
If it clams up
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can retract a different limb.
Cross Mahjong
100 tiles · 3 layers · Hard · About 50% clear when all four arms are worked in balance
Cross Mahjong arranges its tiles into a bold plus-sign: four equal arms of stacked tiles meeting at a raised central hub. Each arm is free at its far tip, but the hub where all four meet is stacked highest and opens last, so the puzzle is keeping the four arms retreating in balance so the center collapses cleanly at the end. Clear one arm too fast and the hub seals off from that side; ignore an arm and its buried tiles get stranded. With a compact footprint and a tall center, the Cross offers fewer free tiles than it looks like it should, which is what earns it a spot among the Challenge layouts. The rules never change - match identical free tiles, Flowers and Seasons matching within their groups - and every Cross on Mahjong.now is generated solvable, so the hub always opens for a balanced player.
Goal
Clear all four arms and the central hub by matching free tiles in pairs until the whole cross is gone.
Four arms
Each of the four arms is free at its tip and clears inward toward the center, one tile at a time.
Matching
Tap a free tile then a matching free tile. The four arm tips are open first.
The hub
The raised center where all four arms meet is stacked highest and only opens once the arms have retreated, so keep them even.
If it seizes
When no pair is free, Shuffle redistributes the remaining tiles, and Undo rewinds a match so you can rebalance the arms.
A few terms that apply everywhere
Free tile
A tile you are allowed to select. It must have nothing stacked on top of it and at least one open side, left or right. Only free tiles can be matched, so spotting them is the whole game.
Blocked tile
A tile that cannot move yet, because another tile covers it or because tiles touch both its left and right sides at once. Clear a neighbor or the tile above it and a blocked tile becomes free.
Matching pair
The two identical free tiles you remove together. Most tiles need an exact twin, but any Flower matches any Flower and any Season matches any Season, so those bonus tiles pair more loosely.
Shuffle & hint
Your safety nets. Shuffle rearranges the tiles still on the board into a fresh solvable pattern when you are stuck, and Hint highlights one legal pair. Undo rewinds a match you regret.
Ready to put the rules to work? Try today's Daily Challenge, race a friend in Multiplayer, or check the FAQ for common questions about Mahjong Solitaire.
Mahjong rules FAQ
How do you play Mahjong Solitaire?
You clear a stacked layout of mahjong tiles by removing matching pairs. A tile can be taken only if it is free - nothing is stacked on top of it and either its left or right side is open. Tap one free tile, then tap its match to remove both, and keep going until every tile is gone.
What is the goal of Mahjong Solitaire?
The goal is to clear the whole board. A full layout holds 144 tiles in 72 matching pairs, so you win by finding and removing all 72 pairs of free tiles until the table is bare. Smaller layouts use fewer tiles but always an even number.
Which Mahjong layout is the easiest to learn?
The Turtle and the Cat are the friendliest starting layouts. They are wide and open, keep many tiles free at once, and have no deep buried core, so there is almost always a match to find while you learn the free-tile rule.
Which Mahjong layout is the hardest?
The tall, tightly packed layouts are toughest. The Tower stacks tiles seven layers high on a small base, and the Cross funnels four arms into a raised hub, so both leave very few free tiles at once and punish careless early matches.
Are all Mahjong Solitaire layouts winnable?
On Mahjong.now, yes. Every layout is generated by placing tiles in a solvable order, so a winning path always exists. A truly random pile would not always be solvable, which is why some older programs could deal a dead board.
Want more answers? See the full Mahjong FAQ or look up any term in the glossary.