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Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching puzzle that uses the 144 tiles from a traditional Chinese Mahjong set. Match pairs of identical free tiles to remove them. Clear every tile to win. The game is also called Shanghai Solitaire after the 1986 Activision port that introduced it to a wide computer audience. Free in your browser, 650+ layouts, no sign-up. Works offline once the page has loaded.
Goal: remove all 144 tiles by matching identical free pairs.
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that expose two more 5-Bamboos beneath.This Mahjong uses a dynamic scoring system that rewards strategic tile selection and consistent play.
Each match earns points based on two factors: the tile type value and the number of tiles remaining on the board:
Base Points = Tile Value × Tiles Remaining
Early matches (when more tiles remain) score more, rewarding aggressive play from the start.
Characters: 2 points per tile remaining Dots: 4 points per tile remaining Bamboos: 6 points per tile remaining Winds: 8 points per tile remaining Dragons: 10 points per tile remaining Flowers: 12 points per tile remaining Seasons: 14 points per tile remaining (highest)Match tiles of the same suit consecutively to build a chain multiplier:
The chain resets when you match a different suit. Look for opportunities to chain several pairs of the same suit for big bonuses.
The two share tile art and almost nothing else.
| Aspect | Mahjong Solitaire | Traditional Mahjong |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 1 | 4 |
| Goal | Match free pairs to clear the board | Build winning hands of melds |
| Created | 1981 (digital) | 19th-century China |
| Skill type | Spatial puzzle, pattern recognition | Strategy, memory, social play |
Mahjong Solitaire was designed in 1981 by Brodie Lockard on the PLATO computer system at the University of Illinois, where he called it Mah-Jongg. Activision licensed and renamed it Shanghai for personal computers in 1986, which is the version most older players remember.
No. Random shuffles can produce unwinnable boards — a position where every remaining match locks the next one. Estimates from solver experiments put solvable random shuffles at roughly 25–40% on the standard Turtle layout, depending on tile placement. Many digital versions (including this one) bias the shuffle toward solvable boards so most games can be won with careful play.
The most iconic layout, resembling a turtle shell with a tall center and sloping edges.
Symmetrical pyramid with tiles stacked in decreasing layers.
Multiple separated sections connected by bridges of tiles.
Animal and symbolic shapes for variety. Our version includes 650+ layouts in total.
Mahjong Solitaire is a digital invention. Brodie Lockard developed it on the PLATO computer system at the University of Illinois in 1981. He drew on the tile art of traditional Mahjong but replaced the four-player strategy game with a single-player matching puzzle. PLATO users played his version in the early 1980s under the name Mah-Jongg.
The version that broke through to the mainstream came in 1986, when Activision licensed Lockard's design and ported it to home computers as Shanghai. The game shipped on the Macintosh, MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, NES, and several other platforms over the next decade. Microsoft included a version called Mahjong Titans in Windows 7 (2009), which kept the game in front of mainstream Windows users for another decade.
This Mahjong runs in your browser — free, no download, no sign-up. 650+ layouts. Six tile-art themes (default composite plus Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Medieval cultural sets). Daily challenges, statistics, and unlimited undo. Install as an app on your phone or computer; once installed it works offline.