Mahjong Solitaire Explained: From Relaxing Pastime to Brain-Teasing Challenge
Mahjong Solitaire is an excellent solo-player game. It is enjoyable and relaxing, but also mentally challenging. Using Mahjong tiles, players are to remove all tiles by matching identical pairs.
Here is an overview of Mahjong Solitaire and why it is a totally legitimate excuse for playing an intelligent and innocent game.
When Mahjong Solitaire Appeared and How It Gained Popularity
It was the year 1981 when Brodie Lockard created a game called Mahjong Solitaire designed for the PLATO system, in which he took the Chinese game "The Turtle" as his inspiration and came up with the idea of making a single-player computer game. The gaming community instantly felt the vibes, and from that moment, all of them could only talk about it. The breakthrough moment in widespread popularity, however, was the release of Shanghai by Activision in 1986. As a result, the game spread through the general public very quickly and was copied many times.
Since the game has similar tiles to the 4-player Mahjong game, players often mistake the two. However, they are two different games. The solo Mahjong version is also known as Shanghai Solitaire, Kyodai, and Taipei. The newer version on Windows is even tagged “Taipei” Today, Mahjong Solitaire is widely played online and on mobile devices as a classic.
Basic Rules of Mahjong Solitaire
This section provides a solid understanding of Mahjong solitaire’s rules, objectives, and setup and a concise overview of how to play It.
Objective of the Game
The ultimate goal of the Mahjong Solitaire game is to clear all of the tiles from the board by matching similar ones that are free till no more tiles are left on the board.
Game Setup and Layout
Mahjong Solitaire is laid out with a stack of 144 tiles organized in a turtle layout. These 144 tiles fall into several categories:
Three suits of tiles are available: dots (circles), bamboo (sticks), and characters. Each category has 1-9 tiles, with four repetitions of each tile in the layout. All the bamboo suit tiles follow this rule, and hence, each of them is repeated four times, giving a total of 108 suit tiles.
The honor tiles are further distributed into Dragon and Winds. There are three sets of four dragon tiles and four wind tiles.
There are two types of bonus tiles: Flowers and Seasons. Each type has four tiles.
Valid Moves and Matching Rules
The valid moves are pairing identical free tiles. Free tiles are those that are exposed and not blocked on either side. You can match the same types for suited and honor tiles. For instance, you can match a tile of two bamboos with another tile of two. However, you can pair any flower tile with another flower tile. The same logic applies to seasonal tiles as well. Both tile types don’t have identical pairs.
How to Win
You match tiles to win. A Mahjong game is won after you successfully clear the board of every tile. On the other hand, the game is lost when there are still tiles on the board but no valid move to make.
Proven Strategies to Increase Your Winning Odds
Here is a Mahjong strategy guide to increase your odds of winning when playing Mahjong Solitaire:
Prioritize Removing High-Level Tiles
Clear the tiles on the upper level first. This clever technique opens up many more tile possibilities and lowers your chance of being trapped.
Plan Ahead and Scan the Board
It is good to check the table for any matches and dead spots before you make your move. This habit will enable you to make various choices for each move and ensure that you don’t go down the wrong path without any warning signs.
Maintain Tile Balance
Try not to put all the tiles of one type together too soon in the game. You can match tiles of each type equally, thus avoiding situations where the others might cover a tile.
3 Essential Tips for Mahjong Solitaire Beginners
Here are tips designed to help you build self-confidence and avoid frustration as you begin your Mahjong Solitaire adventure:
1. Begin with Simple Layouts
Mahjong Solitaire comes with various levels of play from easy to difficult. It is suggested to go for a less complicated layout first as it allows you to understand the game mechanics without too much frustration.
2. Utilize Hint and Undo Functions
You are welcome to attempt to find the correct move using the game's tips and undo options. The best thing is that the more you experiment with different moves, the more optimal options you find. Additionally, it gives you feedback on your wrong moves and helps you come up with productive plans that help create successful strategies.
3. Practice Regularly
Practice makes perfect. You will be able to anticipate certain moves in similar situations and recognize patters in the following games. A piece of advice from us would be to have many short and regular sessions, which would aid your skills development and strategic thinking — these are more efficient than having long sessions since you will remember more information.
Explore Other Solitaire Variations
If you enjoyed Mahjong Solitaire, consider exploring other solitaire types on the same platform. Here are some available titles:
- Klondike
- Spider
- Pyramid
- TriPeaks
Discover the available options and start playing the one that resonates with you. They can be great alternatives to the classic tile-matching game and retain some of its elements.
Ready to Excel at Mahjong Solitaire? Start Playing Now!
Mahjong Solitaire is an exciting game that’s easy to learn, sharpens one’s mind, and promises great fun. And guess what? Play solitaire online without downloading an app! Wherever you are, you can load Mahjong Solitaire on a full screen and play anytime with no ads. Play Mahjong Solitaire 100% free here if you are a beginner or looking to fine-tune your strategy.
