Shanghai solitaire how to#

Tiles must be identical to be paired – this means they must have the same number and suit. Only ‘exposed’ tiles can be paired – this means they do not have a tile directly to either the left or right or layered above. The starting layout must contain four levels – this makes the game more challenging by both trapping and hiding tiles, so players can only plan a certain number of moves ahead. While Mahjong Solitaire is simple in its pairing format, certain rules make the game unique and challenging: Players then continue pairing identical tiles in the new layout until they clear the playing area. However, players should typically keep the same number of ‘levels’ as in their pre-shuffle layout, even if the new shape is different. This does not have to be the same shape as before. When tiles are shuffled, the current playing layout is taken apart, the tiles are mixed up, and a new playing area is created. If a player runs out of moves before the playing area is cleared, they are allowed to ‘shuffle’ the tiles. Players continue to pair exposed tiles until they clear the playing area – in which case the game is won – or they run out of legal moves. Paired tiles are placed to the side of the playing area. Tiles that have one side ‘free’ can be paired with any other ‘exposed’ tiles in the playing area. The exceptions to this rule are the ‘seasons’ and ‘flowers’ tiles, which can all be paired freely.Ī tile can also only be paired if it is ‘exposed’ in the playing area – this means it does not have another tile directly to either its right or left or layered above. For example, the two of winds can only be paired with another two of winds tile. However, there are certain rules about which tiles can be paired.įirstly, tiles must be identical to form a pair – this means they must feature the same suit and number. The aim of Mahjong Solitaire is to clear the playing area by removing paired tiles. Online Mahjong typically features the traditional ‘spider’ layout. Your final Mahjong Solitaire layout will likely look like one of the following: However, the most common Mahjong layouts include the traditional ‘spider’ layout, as well as ‘pyramid’ and ‘square’ layouts. There are multiple ways to set up a game of Mahjong Solitaire and customization is common for more experienced players. The exact shape of the layout can be decided by the player.

The only requirements for a Mahjong Solitaire layout are that the tiles are laid randomly, and the shape features four total layers of tiles in a pyramid design – meaning each progressive layer has fewer tiles than the layer below. Players can set up their own starting layout using the standard 144 Mahjong Solitaire tiles, which are shown below: One of the exciting elements of Mahjong Solitaire is that the game layout can be customized by players to keep it fresh and make each game more or less difficult.

Shanghai solitaire how to#

How to set up a game of Mahjong Solitaire The aim of the game is to pair all the tiles until the playing area is empty.

Mahjong Solitaire follows a traditional pairing format, in which two identical tiles are paired together and removed from the playing area. However, the two games are very different, with the original ‘Mahjong’ being a multiplayer strategy game. The game is believed to have been created in the 1980s and takes its name from the classic Chinese game ‘Mahjong’, from which it also borrows its tiles. Mahjong Solitaire – also known as ‘MahJongg Solitaire’ and ‘Shanghai Solitaire’ – is a solo pairing game traditionally played with tiles.