📖 How to Play Mahjong
Mahjong is a tile-matching puzzle game based on the classic Chinese game of Mahjong. Unlike the 4-player version, this is a single-player game that requires focus, memory, and strategic planning.
1. The Objective
The goal is to remove every single tile from the board. Tiles are removed by pairing them up with their identical match.
2. The Golden Rule: “Free Tiles”
You cannot just pick any tile you see. You can only select a tile if it is currently “Free”. A tile is considered free if:
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Top is clear: No other tile is lying on top of it (even partially).
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Side is clear: It has an empty space on either its immediate left OR right side.
If a tile is “blocked” (surrounded by other tiles), you must clear the surrounding tiles first to access it.
3. Special Matching Rules
Usually, you must match identical images (e.g., a “5 of Bamboo” matches another “5 of Bamboo”). However, there are two special suits where the images don’t need to be exactly the same:
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🌸 Flower Tiles: (Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum). Any Flower tile can match with any other Flower tile.
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🍂 Season Tiles: (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter). Any Season tile can match with any other Season tile.
4. Game Controls
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New Game: Starts a fresh board.
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Layout: Switch between different board shapes (Turtle, Pyramid, Arena, etc.).
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Undo: Made a mistake? Step back one move.
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Hint: Stuck? The game will highlight a matching pair for you.
5. Strategy Tips for Winning
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Work from the Top Down: Always prioritize removing tiles from the top of the stack. These tiles cover the most hidden tiles below them.
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Open the Long Rows: The long horizontal rows (usually at the bottom or middle) hide many tiles. Try to shorten these rows early.
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Plan Ahead: Before matching a pair, check if one of those tiles is “locking” a crucial area. If you have three matching tiles available, choose the pair that frees up the most important tiles underneath.
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Don’t Spam Shuffle: If the game offers a shuffle feature, save it for when you are truly out of moves.