Play Free Mahjong Solitaire
Solitaire Social offers you a free online version of Mahjong Solitaire. You can launch this game on your web browser; here’s no need to download any desktop or mobile app.
What Is Mahjong Solitaire?
Online Mahjong Solitaire is a free online matching game played with tiles instead of cards like typical Solitaire. In this game, players rearrange a set of Mahjong tiles instead of cards, as they’ll do when playing Solitaire. This free game is mainly played on a computer or smartphone instead of a physical tabletop.
The goal of online Mahjong Solitaire is to remove tiles from the board by matching identical tiles. To remove tiles, you must click two matching tiles that are both identical and open. A tile is “open” if no other tiles are on its left and right sides or above.
How To Play Mahjong Solitaire?
This game’s objective is to remove tiles from the board by matching identical tiles. To win, you must remove all the board tiles until you run out of open matches or until the timer runs out. Keep your eyes out for open tiles with no other ones on their left and right sides or above them; when you spot them, you can quickly match and remove them.
You can play the free Mahjong Solitaire on this page and check out how it works.
Mahjong Tips and Strategies
The free Mahjong Solitaire online board has a tower shape with tiles stacked atop each other. If you start matching and removing tiles from random positions, you’ll likely run into blocked and unmatchable tiles later in the game. You lose if there are no longer any open tile matches on the board, so the aim is to keep as many open matches as possible.
Instead of matching and removing tiles randomly, look for openings that will remove the highest number of tiles when matched. You can start by clearing the top tiles and the board corners first. Clearing the top tiles will unblock the tiles underneath them. Similarly, removing tiles from the corners will expose the horizontal tile rows that are usually difficult to remove.
Sometimes, the best strategy for the online Mahjong Solitaire is to wait and look for matches that remove the most tiles. You can tap the hint button for a clue if it’s difficult to find a match, but note that the hint does not always recommend the best option.
Variations Of Mahjong Solitaire
Common variations to play Mahjong Solitaire include
- Time limits – Setting a specific period for the player to clear all tiles or lose the game.
- Reshuffles – In some versions, players can reshuffle the tiles when they run out of moves.
- Multiplayer – Two or more players can compete with each other.
- Wild card tiles – Players can use different tiles with special functionality.
What Differentiates Mahjong and Mahjong Solitaire?
The traditional Mahjong is a four-player game played on a tabletop, with players aiming to collect a winning hand of tiles by picking and removing one at a time. On the other hand, Mahjong Solitaire is played digitally; players aim to clear the tiles by removing two matching ones at a time.
Both games use the same set of decorated tiles, but they’re played differently.
How Long Does A Game of Mahjong Solitaire Take?
The length depends on the player’s experience and abilities. Experienced players can clear the whole tiles in as little as 10 minutes, but beginners take much longer because they’re still learning the game’s ins and outs. An average Mahjong Solitaire game can take up to 1 hour. You can practice regularly to cut down that time.
How Many Tiles Are There In Mahjong?
The number varies by game, but a Mahjong Solitaire board should have at least 136 tiles. For instance, the American version has 152 tiles. Yet, 144 tiles is the standard version for most games, consisting of
- 36 in the Dot suit
- 36 in the Character suit
- 36 in the Bamboo suit
- 16 Wind tiles
- 12 Dragon tiles
- 8 bonus tiles
What Is the Trick To Mahjong Solitaire?
- Always match the tiles that will open up the highest number of new tiles.
- Focus on matching tiles on the horizontal lines because they’re more difficult to remove.
- When you have at least three sets of matchable tiles, match the one that will free up the highest number of new tiles. Matching the wrong pair can cause more difficulty later in the game.
How Do You Play Mahjong Solitaire For Beginners?
The goal is the remove the tiles by matching identical ones. Only tiles you can see are matchable, so you first need to match the visible ones at the top and sides of the board. If no moves are left, then the game ends, or you can reshuffle the tiles in some versions to continue playing.
This game requires thinking and strategy to determine the best matchable tiles to remove at a given time. But the golden rule is to match the tiles that free up the highest number of new tiles.
Which Version of Mahjong Is Most Popular?
The most popular version of Mahjong is the Cantonese version. Here, players take their turns to match and discard tiles until they complete a winning hand by using the 14th tile to form four melds and a pair.
The Cantonese version is very similar to the American version. Other popular versions include Taiwanese, Chinese, and European Classical.
What Is the Hardest Hand To Win In Mahjong?
The Big Four Winds/Big Four Blessings winning hand is the most difficult one, with a probability of 1 in 57,856 Mahjong rounds. This winning hand requires the player to possess all the Wind tiles. Note that the answer may vary depending on your Mahjong version.
Is Mahjong More Skill Or Luck?
Mahjong is a game that’s more dependent on skill than luck. You need skills to identify the tiles to remove that expose the highest number of new tiles. You can win a lot by following patterns and guessing what hands other players are playing. A little bit of luck is involved, but it’s more dependent on skill.
