Mahjong Solitaire Layouts: Turtle, Pyramid, Bridge and More

A layout is not the same as a deal

This distinction helps when you choose what to play next.

• A layout determines the position and height of every tile—the board's geometry.
• A deal determines which symbols appear at those positions.
• A move removes two matching free tiles and changes which positions become playable.

Choosing Turtle and then selecting New Game gives you another deal on the same Turtle shape. Selecting Pyramid changes the geometry itself. This means a small set of familiar layouts can support many different puzzles, and a large catalog adds even more variety in how the board feels.

Turtle: the recognizable classic

Turtle is the traditional starting point for Mahjong Solitaire. It uses 144 tiles arranged across five layers, with a wide base and a raised central structure. The characteristic side tiles and the small top layer make its silhouette immediately recognizable.

The central stack matters because tiles beneath it stay blocked until their cover is cleared. At the same time, the long rows reward attention to their left and right ends. A good Turtle move is often one that opens a row or frees an important tile under the upper layers, rather than simply removing the first matching pair.

Try Turtle if you want the standard classic experience or are learning how cover and side-blocking interact.

Pyramid: pay attention to height and access

Pyramid arranges the same basic matching challenge into a different layered outline. Its profile can make certain upper positions especially important to the tiles below them.

When playing Pyramid, first scan for matches that release covered tiles. Then check whether the tiles you expose also have an open horizontal side. A tile uncovered from above can still be blocked by neighbors on both sides.

Pyramid is a good choice if you want to focus more on the relationship between visible upper tiles and the sections beneath them.

Bridge: look at the connections

Bridge changes the familiar Turtle outline into a different structure of overlapping rows and supports. The challenge is still to identify two matching tiles that are free, but the shape changes which areas are constrained and which can be opened from the edges.

Look for pairs that loosen a tight section rather than clearing only the most obvious outer tiles. After each pair, recheck both the upper-layer cover and the horizontal sides of newly exposed tiles.

Bridge is useful when Turtle starts to feel too familiar but you still want classic Mahjong Solitaire rules.

What about the other layouts?

The game includes a broad selection of additional shapes drawn from a single validated open-source layout collection. Some are compact; others are wide, tall, or unusually shaped. Different geometry means different patterns of bottlenecks and different sizes when the board is automatically fitted to the screen.

Open Layouts to see thumbnails rendered from the actual tile positions, not decorative images. Use the search field or category filters to browse the catalog. The preview helps you recognize the shape before starting a new game.

If a layout is particularly long or tall, its tiles may appear smaller than those in a more balanced shape, even in Full Screen. That's because the game keeps the entire board visible rather than hiding tiles outside the window.

How to choose a layout

Start with what you want from the session:

A familiar classic: choose Turtle. It is a strong reference point for learning common matching patterns.

A different kind of spatial puzzle: try Pyramid or Bridge. Their geometry encourages you to inspect different kinds of cover and side access.

Clearer, larger tiles: try a layout whose shape fits your monitor well, then turn on Full Screen. Tile count alone does not determine readability; the outline of the board also matters.

Variety without progression: browse the thumbnails and choose any layout immediately. All 83 are open from the start, and you can generate fresh deals within the same shape.

Are all 83 layouts solvable?

The layouts were checked for compatibility with the game's tile rules, and their starting deals are generated with a verified complete clearing sequence. That does not mean any sequence of moves will win. You can still remove a legal pair that blocks a later solution.

If a puzzle becomes difficult, Hint identifies a presently playable pair, Undo lets you reconsider a choice, and Restart returns you to the same starting arrangement. Shuffle attempts to create a verified continuation for the remaining board.

The important distinction is between a starting board known to have a solution and a player position that remains solvable after arbitrary choices.

Does a layout change the rules?

No. In classic Mahjong Solitaire, a free tile must be uncovered from above and have at least one side open to the left or right. Most symbols match identically; flowers match other flowers and seasons match other seasons. A different board shape changes the options available to you, not the fundamental matching system.

For the full rule explanation, read How to Play Classic Mahjong Solitaire.