Mahjong Solitaire Games
Solitaire is the shape most people picture when they hear the word: a stacked table of tiles, two identical faces removed at a time, until either the board is empty or nothing legal is left. The rule that governs everything is what counts as free — a tile with nothing on top of it and at least one long side unblocked.
The classic turtle is the layout to learn on. Its shell hides the tiles that matter, and the mistake every new player makes is clearing the easy flanks first, which strands the pairs beneath the spine. Reading a board here means asking which tile is holding up the most weight, not which pair is easiest to take.
Beyond the turtle, this shelf holds dragons, pyramids, gardens and the Shanghai variants that spread the same rules over wider tables. Some deal in fixed layouts you can memorise; others rebuild the board each round, which makes the shuffle a tool rather than an admission of defeat.
Difficulty in this section is mostly about depth. A four-layer board forgives a bad opening; a seven-layer one will let you play for eight minutes before revealing that the game ended at move three.
Questions about this section
What makes a tile free in mahjong solitaire?
Nothing may rest on top of it, and one of its long sides must be clear. A tile wedged between two neighbours cannot be taken even if its match is visible.
Can a mahjong solitaire board become unwinnable?
Yes. Clearing pairs in the wrong order can bury the tiles you need, which is why boards with a shuffle offer one.
Which mahjong solitaire layout should a beginner start with?
The turtle. It is the shallowest of the classic shapes and it teaches the habit of working from the covered centre outward.