10 Games Like Mahjong to Play Free Online (2026)

The Mahjong Solitaire puzzle most browser players know — the one with the turtle-shaped tile pyramid — is actually a 1981 PC game called Shanghai, created by Brodie Lockard at Activision. Real Chinese Mahjong is a 4-player game closer to gin rummy. This list covers 10 free browser games that use Mahjong’s two core mechanics: tile-pair matching and layered removal. All free, all instant-play.

1. Mahjong Solitaire

144 standard Mahjong tiles arranged in a 5-layer turtle. Remove free pairs (no tile on top, at least one side open) until the board clears. Includes undo, hint, shuffle Play Mahjong Solitaire.

2. Mahjong Connect

Same tile set, different rule — match any two identical tiles connectable by a line with at most 2 corners. Faster than classic; great for phones Play Mahjong Connect.

3. Memory Match

The basic pair-matching mechanic that Mahjong layers on top of. Find pairs of hidden cards. 4 difficulty levels Play Memory Match.

4. Pyramid Solitaire

Cards in a 7-row pyramid; pair cards that sum to 13 (e.g., 5+8, A+Q). Kings remove themselves. Pure puzzle, no shuffle Play Pyramid Solitaire.

5. Klondike Solitaire

The Windows-default Solitaire. Foundation piles built up by suit; tableau built down by alternating colour. Drag-and-drop, undo, hint Play Klondike Solitaire.

6. Spider Solitaire

Build descending sequences in one suit; complete K-to-A in suit to clear it. 1, 2, or 4 suits Play Spider Solitaire.

7. FreeCell

8 columns plus 4 free cells. Move one card at a time (or stacks via the supermove formula). Nearly every game is solvable with perfect play Play FreeCell.

8. Sudoku

Different rules, same logical-deduction headspace. 6 difficulty levels; hints use a solver Play Sudoku.

9. Picross

Logic puzzle with row/column number clues. Like Sudoku for spatial thinkers Play Picross.

10. Minesweeper

Deduce mine positions from numerical hints. First-click is always safe in our build. 9×9 beginner through 30×16 expert Play Minesweeper.

What’s the difference between Mahjong and Mahjong Solitaire?

Mahjong is a 4-player game from 19th-century China. Players draw and discard tiles trying to form a 14-tile hand with specific patterns (Pung = three of a kind, Kong = four, Chow = three sequential). It’s closer in feel to gin rummy than to Solitaire.

Mahjong Solitaire (also called Shanghai) is a single-player tile-matching puzzle invented by Brodie Lockard in 1981 for Activision. It uses Mahjong tiles but plays nothing like real Mahjong — you just remove matching pairs from a stack.

Is there real Mahjong online?

Yes, but real Mahjong needs 4 players, scoring rules vary by region (Hong Kong, Japanese Riichi, American), and matches take 30-60 minutes. Most browser Mahjong sites are actually Mahjong Solitaire. If you want real Mahjong, dedicated apps like Mahjong Soul or Riichi City are the standard.

10 Games Like Mahjong — Free Tile-Matching Games to Play Online