Mahjong solitaire

This is a fun matching game.

You use small tiles to play. You look for two tiles that are the same. You can only pick tiles that are free. A tile is free if nothing is on its sides.

When you match a pair, you take them away. This shows new tiles underneath. You win when all the tiles are gone. Some people play this on a computer. You can also play with real tiles. It is a great way to test your brain!

Mahjong solitaire is a fun matching game for one person.

Instead of using cards, you use 144 tiles. Most people play this on a computer. You can also play with real tiles in a wooden frame.

To play, you must find matching pairs of tiles. You can only pick tiles that are "free." A tile is free if it can move left or right without hitting other tiles. When you remove a pair, you see the tiles underneath. This lets you find new matches. The goal is to clear the whole board. If no more pairs are free, you lose. One common way to set up the tiles is called "the turtle." In this layout, about 3 percent of games cannot be won.

Brodie Lockard made the first computer version in 1981. It was named Mah-Jongg. Later, a company called Activision sold a version named Shanghai. This game has many names. Some people call it Taipei or Kyodai. You can even play it with a friend to see who gets the most points!

Mahjong solitaire is a single-player matching game.

It uses a set of 144 tiles instead of playing cards. Many people play this game on a computer or phone. You can also play with real tiles on a table. This requires a special wooden frame for the long setup. The goal is to find and remove matching pairs. You win when every tile is cleared from the board.

To play, you must look for "free" tiles. A tile is free if it can move left or right. It cannot have other tiles blocking its path. When you match a pair, those tiles are removed. This action reveals the tiles hiding underneath them. Removing tiles lets you find new matches to play. If you run out of free pairs, you lose. One popular layout is called "the turtle." In this setup, about 3 percent of games cannot be won.

Brodie Lockard created the first computer version in 1981. He made it for the PLATO system. He named the game Mah-Jongg. At that time, it was played on touch screen terminals. Later, a company named Activision released a game called Shanghai. They sold it for many different types of computers. This version sold around 10 million copies.

This game has many different names. Some people call it Taipei or Kyodai. Microsoft included a version called Taipei in 1990. Newer versions like Mahjong Titans are in Windows Vista. You can even find it on the Nintendo Switch. Mobile apps like Microsoft Mahjong have millions of downloads. Some versions even use different symbols like flowers or jewels. You might even play with "wildcard" tiles that have special powers.

Mahjong solitaire is related to a four-player game. However, the way you play them is very different. In the solitaire version, you can play alone. You can also play with a partner to compete. In a two-player game, you try to score the most points. You gain points for every pair you remove. You can get bonus points for matching sets in a row. These sets can include dragons, flowers, seasons, or winds.

Mahjong solitaire is a single-player matching game.

It uses a set of 144 tiles instead of traditional playing cards. While the game shares a name with the four-player tabletop game mahjong, the actual methods of gameplay are unrelated. Most people play this version on computers or mobile devices today. You can also play with physical tiles. This requires a special wooden frame to manage the lengthy setup process. The primary objective is to find and remove matching pairs of tiles from the board.

The mechanics of the game rely on identifying "free" or "open" tiles. A tile is considered open if it can be moved either to the left or to the right without disturbing any other tiles. Players must select two identical open tiles to remove them from the layout. This action is crucial because it exposes the tiles that were previously hidden underneath. As more tiles are removed, new pairs become available for play. The game ends in a win if every tile is cleared from the board. However, a player loses if the remaining tiles contain no more exposed pairs.

There are many different ways to organize the tiles into layouts. One of the most famous arrangements is known as the "turtle formation." In this setup, the 144 tiles are arranged in a four-layer pattern with their faces pointing upward. Other layouts might use different names, such as "the ox" or "the snake." Electronic versions of the game often allow players to choose different levels of difficulty. Some digital versions also allow for shuffling the tiles or changing the symbols. Instead of traditional tiles, players might match flowers, jewels, or other items.

The history of the computer game began with Brodie Lockard. He created the original version in 1981 for the PLATO system. He named his creation Mah-Jongg. This version was played using a CDC-721 touch screen terminal.

Later, the company Activision released a version called Shanghai in 1986. This release was available for many platforms, including the IBM Personal Computer and the Macintosh. The Macintosh version was developed by Lockard himself. The Apple IIGS version was a port created by Ivan Manley and Brad Fregger. Activision's version of Shanghai sold approximately 10 million copies.

Mahjong solitaire has appeared in many famous software collections over the years. In 1990, Microsoft included a version called Taipei in its Entertainment Pack for Windows 3.x. Newer operating systems like Windows Vista and Windows 7 include a version called Mahjong Titans. The game has also become very popular on smartphones. The app Microsoft Mahjong has reached millions of downloads on the App Store and Google Play. Other versions exist on various platforms, including the Nintendo Switch in Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics.

Mathematics can be used to analyze the difficulty of the game. Playing Mahjong solitaire optimally to maximize the chance of clearing all tiles is classified as PSPACE-complete. If a player is allowed to look at the tiles beneath others, the game becomes NP-complete. In a "perfect-information" version, the player knows the position of every tile before the game starts. Even in this version, deciding if all tiles can be removed is NP-complete. An analysis of ten million games using the default turtle layout showed a specific statistic. About 3 percent of those turtle layouts cannot be solved, even if looking below tiles is allowed.

Beyond solo play, the game can be adapted into many different styles. Some electronic versions add "wildcard tiles" that have special functions. Other versions include time limits based on the number of tiles in the initial layout. You can also play with a partner in a competitive mode. In these two-player versions, the goal is to accumulate the most points. Players earn points for each pair removed. You can earn bonus points for removing pairs in a specific sequence. These sequences can include traditional sets like the dragons, the flowers, the seasons, or the winds.