--- title: "Mahjong rules: how to play Mahjong solitaire" description: "Mahjong solitaire rules: free tiles, matching pairs, flowers and seasons, and ways to clear the board. Play Mahjong free in your browser." url: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/mahjong/ canonical: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/mahjong/ type: zasady language: en author: klyo organization: Klyo Illia Krasnopolskyi (NIP 7822656871), Łódź, Poland contact: kontakt@klyo.pl updated: 2026-10-18 llms: https://games.klyo.pl/llms.txt --- # Mahjong rules The Mahjong people play on computers and phones is usually Mahjong solitaire: a one player game with Mahjong tiles. A layered layout of tiles lies on the table, and you remove matching pairs until the table is empty. Classic Mahjong for four players is a completely different game, closer to rummy. [Play Mahjong](https://games.klyo.pl/mahjong-sanctuary/) [All game rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/) - [![Mahjong Sanctuary: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-mahjong-sanctuary-800.e8ff51f5.webp) 5–15 minutes **Mahjong Sanctuary** Mahjong 5–15 minutes portrait & landscape Free Mahjong Solitaire online: 144 tiles, hints, undo and a daily board.](https://games.klyo.pl/mahjong-sanctuary/) ## In short 1. 144 tiles in several layers. 2. You remove pairs of identical free tiles. 3. A free tile is not covered and has an open left or right side. 4. Flowers match flowers, seasons match seasons. 5. You win when the table is empty. ## How does Mahjong solitaire work? The table holds 144 tiles stacked in several layers. You remove them in pairs: pick two identical free ones and both disappear. You win when the table is empty. You are stuck when no free pair is left, unless a shuffle helps. ## Which tile is free? A free tile meets two conditions at once: nothing lies on top of it, and at least one of its sides, left or right, is open, so it could slide out sideways. One that is covered, or squeezed on both sides, cannot be removed, even if its twin is free. *Free tiles have an open left or right side and nothing on top. The tile in the middle of a row is blocked.* ## Which tiles make a pair? A pair is two identical pieces: the same circles, bamboos, characters, winds or dragons. Flowers and seasons work differently: in most versions any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season. ## How do you clear the board in Mahjong? - Start with the ones that block the most others: from tall stacks and from the ends of long rows. - When you see three identical free ones, think about which pair to remove to open up more of the board. - Do not remove a pair just because it is at hand if its twins lie deep under others. - When you are stuck, use a hint or undo your last move before you reach for a shuffle. ## How do you play Mahjong on klyo? Mahjong Sanctuary has a layered layout of 144 tiles, hints, undo and a shuffle that keeps the board solvable. There is also Daily Mahjong, one board for every player, with your score on the leaderboard. A game takes five to fifteen minutes and needs no install and no account. ## How to play Mahjong at master level Every kind of tile appears four times, and flowers and seasons each form one group of four. That one number is enough to plan: - When all four identical tiles are free, remove both pairs at once: it blocks nothing. - When three identical ones are free, choose the pair that uncovers more blocked tiles. - Watch out for two identical tiles lying one on top of the other: you can free the lower one only with a third tile of that group, so do not use it up. - Take apart the tall stacks and long rows first, because they cover the most tiles. ## The most common mistakes in Mahjong - Removing the first pair you see without checking what it uncovers. - Leaving the tall stacks for the end. - Reaching for a shuffle before undoing a few moves. ## Play Mahjong Sanctuary for free You know the rules, now play. Mahjong Sanctuary runs free in your browser, on a phone and a computer, with nothing to install and no account. [Play Mahjong](https://games.klyo.pl/mahjong-sanctuary/) [![Mahjong Sanctuary: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-mahjong-sanctuary-800.e8ff51f5.webp)](https://games.klyo.pl/mahjong-sanctuary/) ## Similar free games - [![Kółko i krzyżyk: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-kolko-i-krzyzyk-800.d594bf13.webp) new 30 seconds to 1 minute, a run up to 10 minutes **Tic Tac Toe** Puzzle 30 seconds to 1 minute, a run up to 10 minutes portrait & landscape Tic Tac Toe on squared paper: against the computer, with a friend or online.](https://games.klyo.pl/tic-tac-toe/) - [![Warcaby: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Rasalhague](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-warcaby-800.6e0f6f8e.webp) 5–15 minutes **Checkers** Puzzle 5–15 minutes Checkers against the computer, hotseat and online.](https://games.klyo.pl/checkers/) - [![Saper: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-saper-800.c60de309.webp) new 1 to 5 minutes **Minesweeper** Puzzle 1 to 5 minutes portrait & landscape Classic Minesweeper in your browser: clear the board and flag the mines.](https://games.klyo.pl/minesweeper/) - [![Sudoku: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-sudoku-2-800.a31ff905.webp) 5–15 minutes **Sudoku** Sudoku 5–15 minutes portrait & landscape Free online sudoku: 6 levels, hints that teach and a daily challenge.](https://games.klyo.pl/sudoku/) ## Rules of other games - [Chess rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/) - [Sudoku rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/sudoku/) - [How to play solitaire](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/solitaire/) - [How to play Minesweeper](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/minesweeper/) - [Checkers rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/checkers/) - [How to win at Tic Tac Toe](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/tic-tac-toe/) - [Castling in chess](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/castling/) - [En passant](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/en-passant/) - [Stalemate in chess](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/stalemate/) - [Chess openings for beginners](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/openings/) - [Spider Solitaire rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/spider-solitaire/) - [FreeCell rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/freecell/) --- Source: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/mahjong/ · Built and run by klyo, a Polish technology company (Łódź) · Contact: kontakt@klyo.pl · Index for language models: https://games.klyo.pl/llms.txt