Mahjong solitaire

1. Take every tile off the board, two at a time. The two tiles must show the same face.
2. You can only take a free tile. A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it, even partly, and its left side or its right side is open.
3. Any flower matches any other flower, and any season matches any other season. Every other tile needs its twin.
4. The game ends when the board is empty. If no two free tiles match, shuffle the tiles left or undo some moves.

Tap a free tile, then its match. On a phone, a tap near a free tile picks it, so the small tiles of the turtle are easy to hit. Hint shows two tiles that match, and Undo takes back a move, as many times as you like.

A deal of random tiles can be impossible to clear, whatever you do. This game deals the other way round: it takes the empty tiles off the layout two free tiles at a time, then puts a matching pair of faces on each pair it took. Taking the pairs off in that order clears the board, so every deal has at least one way to win.

A wrong pair can still block you. When three or four tiles of one face are free, the two you pick matter. The hint looks for a way to clear the whole board from where you are, and shows its next pair. A shuffle moves the faces of the tiles left onto the same places, in an order that can be cleared.

A full set has 144 tiles: 108 suit tiles, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 4 flowers and 4 seasons. The pictures here are our own drawings of the traditional faces.

See what each tile is called in Chinese and what it means in our guide to all 144 mahjong tiles.

• Turtle: the classic layout of all 144 tiles, in five layers that rise to one tile on top.
• Tower: 144 tiles in three layers, taller than wide, so the tiles are larger on a phone held upright.
• Pyramid: a quick game of 56 tiles in three layers.

A phone held upright starts with the tower. Pick another layout under the board; your browser keeps your choice.

Both games use the same tiles, but they are different games. Mahjong solitaire is a puzzle for one player. Mahjong is a game for four players, closer to rummy.

Learn the four-player game in how to play mahjong, with the deal, the sets, the claims and the scoring.

• Take the tiles that free other tiles first: the top of the stacks, and the ends of long rows.
• When all four tiles of a face are free, take both pairs. That can never block you.
• When three tiles of a face are free, look at the fourth. Keep the free tile that can pair with it later.
• Look for a tile that lies on its own twin. Free the other two of that face before you need them.
• The Matches count shows how many pairs you can take now. When it falls to 1 or 2, slow down.

• Phone and tablet: tap a free tile, then its match. Tap the tile again to let it go.
• Mouse: click a free tile, then its match.
• Keyboard: the arrow keys move between free tiles, and Enter or Space picks one. H shows a hint, U undoes a move, and S shuffles.

Play darts against the computer or a friend, or call a game of bingo for a room. Each has a rules guide: the darts rules and checkout chart, and the bingo calls from 1 to 90.