Mahjong solitaire tips: how to clear more boards
Most mahjong solitaire boards are lost in the first half, not the last few tiles. A pair you take early can bury the tile you need later. These tips help you choose better moves, with no rush.
New to the game? Start with the rules. This page is for players who already know how to match tiles.
1. Look before you tap
Before your first match, look at the whole board for a few seconds. Find the tallest stacks and the longest rows. Those are the places where tiles are most likely to get stuck.
2. Open the tall stacks first
A tile on top of a stack blocks everything under it. Removing it opens more tiles than removing a tile from a flat edge. When you have a choice, take the pair that uncovers the most new tiles.
3. Work long rows from both ends
In a long row, only the two end tiles are free. If you only ever take tiles from one end, the other end can hold the partner of a tile you need. Take from whichever end opens up a new match.
4. Count the matching tiles
Each tile has partners somewhere on the board. Before taking a pair, count how many of that tile you can see:
| All of them are free | Take them. There is nothing to lose. |
| Two free, others still hidden | Usually safe, but check whether one of the free tiles is sitting on top of a hidden partner. |
| Three are free | Stop and think. Pick the two whose removal opens the most tiles, and leave the one that blocks nothing. |
5. Don't rush the easy pairs
A free pair on the edge will usually still be there later. If it isn't blocking anything, you can leave it and use it when you are stuck.
6. Watch the tile that sits on its own partner
Sometimes a tile lies directly on top of the tile it matches. You can never remove those two as a pair with each other. Plan to free them with the other copies.
7. Use the tools without guilt
- Hint shows one pair you can take. It is a good way to learn what you missed.
- Undo takes back a move. Try a different pair and see what opens.
- Shuffle mixes the remaining tiles when you are truly stuck. In Calm Mahjong the board stays solvable after a shuffle.
8. Make it easier on your eyes
In Calm Mahjong settings you can switch tile styles, turn on the color-blind friendly option, change the background and zoom in. Blocked tiles are shaded, so you can see at a glance which tiles you can pick.
9. Play the daily puzzle
A new board appears every day. Playing one board a day is an easy way to get better at spotting pairs. Missed a day? You can still play it from the calendar that month.
More: Mahjong Solitaire vs. Mahjong: What Is the Difference? · Mahjong Tiles Explained for Solitaire · How to play