Online Mahjong games

Online Mahjong casual games are usually a form of Mahjong solitaire in which you match pairs of tiles and attempt to clear the board, or sky, or map - or other imaginative environment.

Not always as easy as it sounds! Sharp observation and concentration skills are a must once you start hitting higher levels, but this is also an absorbing and enjoyable game for beginners, as starter levels are uncomplicated and easy to get into.

How to play online Mahjong

You'll find that these Mahjong games start off with a layout of tiles arranged in layers.

Matching and moving tiles
Your job is to find two matching tiles that can be moved from the board. Rules on tiles that are free to be moved vary slightly with different games, but the general idea is that you can remove a pair of tiles so long as neither tile is under or partially covered by another tile.

You may find that you cannot remove a tile if it has tiles to the left and/or right of it. Some games won't let you move the tile if there is another tile above it, for example. So check how to play before starting - or just dive right in!

Sometimes, tiles "match" even though they are not identical. For example, traditional Mahjong solitaire allows you to pair up any flower tiles and any seasons tiles.

Online Mahjong tilesets
Traditional Mahjong tilesets are fascinating - they include suits of tiles based on circles, dragons, bamboo, the wind, and written characters - as well as the flower and season tiles.

You'll find online Mahjong includes this type of tileset, but you'll also discover that you can choose other tileset designs such as

• number or alphabet only tiles
• pictures of animals, plants etc
• color only tiles

Full games offer more options, and you may find you can create your own tileset.

Mahjong online bells and whistles

Mahjong solitaire online incorporates some nifty features:

• If you get stuck and can't find any more tile pairs, you can reshuffle the tiles with a click of the mouse - or ask for a hint - or just undo your last move!
• In-game hints are indeed useful. Find out how many tiles are left, or how many possible matches exist.
• As well as being able to select your tileset design, you may also be given the option to choose your "mode" - for example, maybe you'd like to play a "speed" version. In this case, matching tiles may be highlighted on the layout, and you just have to decide which tiles are free to be matched and removed.
• Or you might play a "concentration" version, where only the tile you have just clicked on becomes visible - making this into a memory match Mahjong, really!
• Explore the choices of backgrounds, music, game goals, timing elements and storylines offered with your game.

Next up - we'll take a look at some game examples and what you can expect.