Mahjong Classic

Pairs, blocks and special chips

The rules follow the classic pattern. Chips leave the board two at a time, whenever you choose a pair with the same symbol. A chip can only be picked when no other chip is blocking it, so much of the game is about working out which chips are actually free. Two kinds of special chip follow a rule of their own: flowers count as pairs with each other, and so do seasons.

Random, but always solvable

Every game starts from a random arrangement, and the game says its generator only deals layouts that have a solution. That is a promise about the layout, not about your play. You lose when the board runs out of available pairs, so the order in which you take pairs still matters. Because the chips are placed afresh each time, a familiar field plays out differently on every visit, and you can return to a favourite field as often as you like.

Fields and boosters

The layouts take well-known mahjong shapes. The game names Turtle, Fort, Crab, Spider, Cat and Dragon among its fields, along with many others. When you get stuck, three boosters can help: Undo takes back the last pair, Hint points one out, and Spotlight makes it easier to see which chips can be selected.

Tips

• Before taking a pair, check whether it frees other chips; a pair that opens up the board is usually the better choice.
• Work on tall stacks and long rows early, because the chips they block are the hardest to reach later.
• Keep Undo for mistakes you notice straight away, and use Hint when you cannot see a pair at all.