Mahjong Christmas Holiday

Snow sits behind every board in Mahjong Christmas Holiday, and there are plenty of boards to get through. The puzzles themselves are layered tile layouts, cleared one identical pair at a time until the field is empty and the next scene loads. For the rule in plain words, see the solitaire rules page.

The set piece is the backdrops. Solving levels moves you through winter landscapes, and one of them travels far enough into the past to show the Titanic in its heyday, which is an odd and rather good reason to keep going rather than dip in once. The seasonal framing is aimed squarely at the run-up to Christmas and the winter that follows it. The Domino Solitare board lays the same tiles out in another silhouette.

Azerion Casual Games keeps the rules ordinary so the dressing can do the work: pairs come off, the layers thin, the scene changes. Nothing here demands a rulebook, which is the point of a holiday board. The window measures 800 by 600 and accepts a mouse or a fingertip. Express asks the same question of a taller pile.

1. Open a winter board and look for identical tiles that are free to lift.
2. Pair them to clear them and thin out the layer underneath.
3. Work down through the stack until the snowy field is empty.
4. Move to the next scene and the puzzle it holds.

• Follow the scenes — the backdrops are the progression, and the Titanic level is worth reaching.
• Clear the crown first — the topmost tiles of a layered winter board free the most beneath them.
• Mind the ornaments — festive tile faces share a lot of red and gold, so check twice before pairing two similar ones.
• Take it in sittings — with plenty of puzzles to solve, this is a board to return to across the season.