ArcadeWhale 
Mahjong Solitaire
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Mahjong Solitaire tips & strategy
Clear the tall stacks and the long rows first
Tiles buried under three layers or trapped in the middle of a long row are the ones that end games. Matching a free tile from the top of the tallest stack is worth more than the same match on the edge, because it exposes more tiles.
When three of a kind are free, pick the pair that unlocks more
If three identical tiles are available, matching any two leaves the third stranded until its twin appears. Choose the two whose removal frees the most new tiles, and leave the one that is already easy to reach.
Wait on matches that unlock nothing
A pair sitting on the outer edge with nothing beneath will still be there in ten moves. Save it for when you have no productive match, and spend your early moves on tiles that block others.
Count remaining tiles of a kind
Every tile has four copies. If two are already gone and one is deep in the stack, the fourth on the surface is not a match you can afford to spend on the wrong partner. Keeping a rough count prevents the classic unwinnable end position.
A stuck board is a wrong earlier choice
Every board here is generated with a solution, so a dead end is never bad luck. If you get stuck, undo back to the last match that had an alternative and take the other pair.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mahjong Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Mahjong Solitaire is free in your browser on ArcadeWhale, with no download, no installation and no account needed.
Is this the same as the real game of mahjong?
No, and the difference surprises people. Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching puzzle that borrows the tiles from mahjong. The traditional game of mahjong is a four-player game where players draw and discard tiles to build a winning hand, closer in spirit to rummy.
What makes a tile "free" so I can match it?
A tile can be matched when no tile is stacked on top of it and either its left or its right edge is clear. A tile with neighbours on both sides is blocked even if nothing is on top of it, and a tile with anything above it is blocked regardless of its sides.
What do I do when there are no matches left?
Use the shuffle button, which rearranges the remaining tiles so play can continue. Some boards genuinely reach a dead end because of the order tiles were removed in, so a shuffle is a normal part of the game rather than a failure.
Do the flower and season tiles have to match exactly?
No. Flowers match any other flower, and seasons match any other season, unlike every other tile which must match its exact twin. That makes them easier pairs to clear when you spot them.
