Matching Games

The Matching games in this section focus mostly on mahjong solitaire and matching identical tiles. You have to study the board, see which pairs are free and plan the order so you don't run out of moves. There are more than 1,200 here, the biggest section on the site.

Mahjong solitaire, step by step

You start with a pile of tiles (144 in the traditional game) stacked in a shape. You can only remove a tile if it's free, meaning nothing sits on top of it and you can slide it out from its left or right side. You match two identical free tiles, and you win when every tile is gone. Shanghai, Shanghai Mahjong, Mahjong Tower, Mahjongg Key and Mahjong Connect follow this pattern, with different layouts.

The 144 tiles of traditional mahjong are three numbered suits (circles, bamboos and characters), winds, dragons, flowers and seasons. In traditional solitaire, flowers match each other even if they aren't identical, and so do seasons, so they don't have to be exact.

Kyodai games

Kyodai games, like Mariposa Kyodai, Butterfly Kyodai HD or Jewels Kyodai Mahjong, change the rule: the tiles lie on a flat board and you can match two identical ones if a line with at most two turns can join them without crossing other tiles. They usually have a time limit.

Other connecting and sorting games

Connect 2 and Wow Connect 2 take a similar connecting idea, and Hexagon, Color Sort Mania, Farm Connect 3 and Mahjong Connect mix colors and tiles. The list also has the odd game of a different style, so check the thumbnail before you start.

Tips

Don't match the first pair you see. There are four of each tile, and which two you remove matters. Start with the tiles that free up the most space, like those on top of tall stacks or at the ends of rows, and leave the loose ones for last.

If you get stuck, look for a pair you can remove to open up another. Many games have a hint button or a shuffle button.