How to Play Mahjong Solitaire
Choose cards or blocks., Set up your blocks., Remove pairs of "open" blocks., Discard the removed blocks in a side pile., Shuffle the remaining blocks if the game is unwinnable., Reassemble the layout once the blocks are gone., Customize the rules...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose cards or blocks.
A typical Mahjong game uses blocks with Chinese symbols of them.
However, you can play the same rules using a Western deck of playing cards.
Mahjong tiles may be purchased online, or from a game's store.
While cards may be a reasonable substitute, using the real thing will prove more enjoyable in the long run. -
Step 2: Set up your blocks.
A traditional Mahjong set-up uses 144 blocks in a rough "spider" shape, with three extra layers added on top like a pyramid, making it a 3D puzzle.
Although you don't need to adhere to the traditional setup, it's a good idea to give it a try at least once.
Place the blocks in a random order.
This will offer the game a sense of unpredictability.
Mahjong layouts are four layers high, in the rough shape of a pyramid.
Although there are no strict layout rules, most traditional Mahjong setups use four jutting arms, fixed facing horizontally on the four corners of the square pyramid.
More of these "arms" will open up more blocks for use, making the game easier.Templates for Mahjong solitaires are available to look up online.However, once you become a seasoned player, you should experiment with creating your own formations.
Just make sure that the formation has a large base with jutting arms and blocks that are open for removal.
If you're using cards, set cards next to one another.
Because these cards will take up more space than the small Mahjong blocks, it may be a good idea to add more vertical layers than you would with the blocks. , The actual game of Mahjong Solitaire is simple but surprisingly challenging.
Find blocks of the same type and remove them.
Blocks can only be removed if they are "open"
meaning they are not covered, nor adjacent to other blocks on their long sides.
Keep your eye out for identical blocks and remove them when you see them.
The game will end either when all of the blocks are gone, or when you have no more moves available.
Because a given block will appear four times in a set, the strategic element is to remove blocks that will open up the greatest number of new blocks, thereby making it easier for you to keep the game going., While you're keeping your eye out for "open" pairs, you should place the discarded blocks in a safe pile, away from your game.
Try not to lose any of the blocks.
If you lose even one, it can ruin the set for you. , If you're playing Mahjong Solitaire by hand, there's a chance that the layout you've constructed was unwinnable from the start.
If this is the case, you have the option of reshuffling the blocks you currently have left into something new.From there, hopefully you'll be able to pick out new pairs and keep the game going. , At a certain point, you should either have all your blocks gone from the layout, or there should be no legal moves left for you to make.
If you think you've possibly lost, give it a thorough checking over before you reassemble the layout.
Following a game, you can either choose to remake the game in the original layout you were using, or experiment with trying something new. , Customization is a natural progression for anyone with significant Mahjong Solitaire experience.
Because it's a game you can play at home by yourself, there's nothing stopping you from creating your own versions and recalculating the rules to suit you better.
If you feel you've been having too much of an easy time with the core gameplay, try adding new restrictions to "open" blocks.
Why not take out blocks four at a time? Layouts also radically change the game experience, especially if you maximize the amount of vertical layers.
Take care not to make it too challenging for yourself, however.
Getting too ambitious with layouts will quickly make the game impossible to play.
Look at some permutations of the game that other people have invented.
Although many game versions have been created as online browser games, there's no reason why you can't apply those rules to an at-home game of it.
Mahjong Solitaire is a fundamentally simple game at heart, so it practically begs to be experimented with. , If you play Mahjong Solitaire, you have options when it comes to scoring the game.
Some players view themselves as "winning" only if they get all of the tiles removed.
The most accepted manner of scoring Mahjong is by scoring tiles removed based on their type.
Depending on the set, certain sets of blocks may have a score of 1 to 7, depending on their rarity.Refer to the rareness of the pieces in your Mahjong set and give them increasing score counts based on how few of a type there are.
Set a stopwatch and time yourself.
Adding time into the game will increase the intensity.
This is a good move if you are already well-versed in Mahjong and need an increased challenge.
Because it's a single-player game, you don't need to score yourself at all if you don't want to. -
Step 3: Remove pairs of "open" blocks.
-
Step 4: Discard the removed blocks in a side pile.
-
Step 5: Shuffle the remaining blocks if the game is unwinnable.
-
Step 6: Reassemble the layout once the blocks are gone.
-
Step 7: Customize the rules to suit yourself.
-
Step 8: Score your game.
Detailed Guide
A typical Mahjong game uses blocks with Chinese symbols of them.
However, you can play the same rules using a Western deck of playing cards.
Mahjong tiles may be purchased online, or from a game's store.
While cards may be a reasonable substitute, using the real thing will prove more enjoyable in the long run.
A traditional Mahjong set-up uses 144 blocks in a rough "spider" shape, with three extra layers added on top like a pyramid, making it a 3D puzzle.
Although you don't need to adhere to the traditional setup, it's a good idea to give it a try at least once.
Place the blocks in a random order.
This will offer the game a sense of unpredictability.
Mahjong layouts are four layers high, in the rough shape of a pyramid.
Although there are no strict layout rules, most traditional Mahjong setups use four jutting arms, fixed facing horizontally on the four corners of the square pyramid.
More of these "arms" will open up more blocks for use, making the game easier.Templates for Mahjong solitaires are available to look up online.However, once you become a seasoned player, you should experiment with creating your own formations.
Just make sure that the formation has a large base with jutting arms and blocks that are open for removal.
If you're using cards, set cards next to one another.
Because these cards will take up more space than the small Mahjong blocks, it may be a good idea to add more vertical layers than you would with the blocks. , The actual game of Mahjong Solitaire is simple but surprisingly challenging.
Find blocks of the same type and remove them.
Blocks can only be removed if they are "open"
meaning they are not covered, nor adjacent to other blocks on their long sides.
Keep your eye out for identical blocks and remove them when you see them.
The game will end either when all of the blocks are gone, or when you have no more moves available.
Because a given block will appear four times in a set, the strategic element is to remove blocks that will open up the greatest number of new blocks, thereby making it easier for you to keep the game going., While you're keeping your eye out for "open" pairs, you should place the discarded blocks in a safe pile, away from your game.
Try not to lose any of the blocks.
If you lose even one, it can ruin the set for you. , If you're playing Mahjong Solitaire by hand, there's a chance that the layout you've constructed was unwinnable from the start.
If this is the case, you have the option of reshuffling the blocks you currently have left into something new.From there, hopefully you'll be able to pick out new pairs and keep the game going. , At a certain point, you should either have all your blocks gone from the layout, or there should be no legal moves left for you to make.
If you think you've possibly lost, give it a thorough checking over before you reassemble the layout.
Following a game, you can either choose to remake the game in the original layout you were using, or experiment with trying something new. , Customization is a natural progression for anyone with significant Mahjong Solitaire experience.
Because it's a game you can play at home by yourself, there's nothing stopping you from creating your own versions and recalculating the rules to suit you better.
If you feel you've been having too much of an easy time with the core gameplay, try adding new restrictions to "open" blocks.
Why not take out blocks four at a time? Layouts also radically change the game experience, especially if you maximize the amount of vertical layers.
Take care not to make it too challenging for yourself, however.
Getting too ambitious with layouts will quickly make the game impossible to play.
Look at some permutations of the game that other people have invented.
Although many game versions have been created as online browser games, there's no reason why you can't apply those rules to an at-home game of it.
Mahjong Solitaire is a fundamentally simple game at heart, so it practically begs to be experimented with. , If you play Mahjong Solitaire, you have options when it comes to scoring the game.
Some players view themselves as "winning" only if they get all of the tiles removed.
The most accepted manner of scoring Mahjong is by scoring tiles removed based on their type.
Depending on the set, certain sets of blocks may have a score of 1 to 7, depending on their rarity.Refer to the rareness of the pieces in your Mahjong set and give them increasing score counts based on how few of a type there are.
Set a stopwatch and time yourself.
Adding time into the game will increase the intensity.
This is a good move if you are already well-versed in Mahjong and need an increased challenge.
Because it's a single-player game, you don't need to score yourself at all if you don't want to.
About the Author
Debra Clark
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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