Mahjong Flower Tiles in Solitaire: How the Matching Rule Works
In Mahjong Solitaire, any Flower tile matches any other Flower tile, even when the paintings differ. Every other tile matches only its own twin.
Mahjong flower tiles rules in solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player tile-matching game played with the 144 tiles of an American Mahjong set. You clear the board by removing pairs of matching tiles that are free. A free tile has nothing on top of it and at least one open side.
The set has three numbered suits, Bams, Craks and Dots, each running one through nine. It also has four Winds, three Dragons and eight Flowers.
Most of these tiles come in matching copies, and you pair a tile with its twin. Flowers are the exception.
The Flower rule, step by step
- Find a Flower tile that is free: nothing covers it, and its left or right side is open.
- Find a second Flower that is also free. It does not need the same painting as the first.
- Tap both. They are removed as a pair.
That is the whole rule. If you are used to matching exact twins, the Flowers will feel different at first. Two Flowers with different artwork still match.
Why the paintings differ
Flower tiles can have different paintings. In Mahjong Solitaire the artwork is a visual difference only. For matching, a Flower is a Flower.
A quick checklist for the rest of the set
- Bams, Craks, Dots: match the same suit and the same number.
- Winds and Dragons: match only their own twin.
- Flowers: match any other Flower.
Blocked tiles are dimmed in the game, so you can see at a glance which tiles you can play. If you are unsure whether two Flowers are both free, check whether either one looks dimmed.
Solitaire Flowers and the four-player game
This page covers only how Flowers work in Mahjong Solitaire. American Mah Jongg, the four-player game these tiles were made for, has its own rules. For those, Mahjong Lexington teaches the game from the first hand to tournament play.
Learning the tiles as you play
After a few boards you start to recognise the suits, Winds, Dragons and Flowers on sight. You do not need to sit down and study them.
Every deal is checked before it reaches you, so a board is never lost to a bad shuffle. There are no ads, and you do not need to sign up to start.
Play Mahjong Solitaire free in your browser. The Journey has 100 levels, and the first 10 are free. The remaining levels are a one-time purchase, and the current price is shown on the site. The iPhone app, Friends at Mahjong Solitaire, has its own listing on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/friends-at-mahjong-solitaire/id6814662217