What makes a tile free
A tile is free when nothing on the layer above touches it, even at a corner, and either its left or its right side is open. Tiles in the rows above and below it on the same layer don't matter.
That means a row of tiles opens only from its ends. In this row only A and E can be taken; take A and B becomes free.
| A | B | C | D | E |
| free | – | – | – | free |
Two things catch people out. A tile on the layer above that sits across two or four tiles blocks all of them. And a tile at the end of the board that sits halfway between two rows blocks the ends of both rows.
The four-of-a-kind decision
On the Turtle, Suvi's full 144-tile layout, every number, wind and dragon tile comes four times, so most pairs are really a choice of which two out of four. Flowers match any flower and seasons any season.
- All four free: take both pairs. Nothing can go wrong.
- Three free: take the two that are blocking the most other tiles, and leave the one that blocks nothing.
- Two free, two buried: before you take them, find the other two. If one buried tile sits directly under its own twin, those two can never be matched with each other. Each will need one of the free ones, so don't spend both free tiles together.
That last case is the classic dead end. Once you spot it you'll see it everywhere.
The smaller layouts (Pyramid, Bridge and Fortress) use a seeded share of the full set, so some kinds appear only twice. If you can find just two of a kind on the whole board, they're a simple pair: take them whenever it helps.
Which pairs to take first
- Pairs that free other tiles. Before every match, ask what it opens. A pair that frees two tiles beats a pair that frees none.
- The top of the stacks. The tall middle is the slowest part to dig out, so start on it early rather than leaving it until the end.
- Long rows from both ends. A row of twelve opens one tile at a time from each end. Work it from both sides so it isn't the last thing left.
- Not the easy corner. Clearing an open area just because it's easy uses up matches you may need for the blocked tiles later.
Suvi's four layouts
Turtle (144 tiles)
A wide base with a stack of 6×6, 4×4 and 2×2 in the middle and one tile on top across the centre four. The single tile at the left end and the pair at the right end sit across the two middle rows and block both: free them early. The top and bottom rows are twelve long.
Pyramid (100 tiles)
Four tiers, 8×7, 6×5, 4×3 and 2×1. Each tier sits squarely on the one below, so every tile covers just one tile underneath. The top tier and the ends of every row start free: work from the top down and from the ends in.
Fortress (122 tiles)
A 12×9 wall with a hollow courtyard in the middle. The three rows the courtyard cuts through are split in two, so they open from four ends, not two: that's where to start. Each corner has a tower of four with a cap on top: take the cap, then the tower, to reach the corners of the wall. Short gatehouses sit in the middle of each wall.
Bridge (112 tiles)
A 4×8 block at each end, joined by a deck across the middle two rows: one layer on the ground, a second layer fourteen tiles long on top of it, and a rail of eight across the middle. Away from the deck, the end blocks are rows of four that open quickly. The deck is the hard part, three layers deep, so take the rail from both ends and start on the deck early.
When you run out of pairs
Every Suvi board is dealt backwards from a finished board, so a full clearing line always exists from the start. You can still walk into a dead end by taking the wrong copy of a tile. Undo takes back one pair at a time, as many as you like, so step back to the last time you had a real choice.
A hint shows a pair worth taking. Shuffle deals the remaining tiles back into the same spaces in a way that can still be finished from there; the first shuffle when you have no pairs is free. A shuffle clears your undo history, so undo first if you think a recent pair was the mistake.
If you only remember three things
- Before every match, ask what it frees.
- When a tile sits on its own twin, keep a free partner for each.
- Dig into the tall stacks and the long rows early.
Try it on today's Turtle, or the quicker Pyramid, the Fortress and the Bridge.
Questions
- Why isn't a tile free when it looks open?
- Something touches it from the layer above, even slightly, or it has a neighbour on both its left and its right. A tile that sits between two rows blocks the ends of both.
- Do flowers and seasons match each other?
- No. Any flower matches any other flower, and any season matches any other season, but a flower never matches a season.
- If every board is solvable, why do I get stuck?
- Solvable means a winning order exists, not that every order wins. Taking the wrong two of four identical tiles can leave a pair that blocks itself. Undo back and choose the other copy.
- Which layout is best for a small phone screen?
- The Pyramid: it has the fewest tiles and fits a narrow screen best. For the wider layouts, turn your phone sideways or tap Bigger.
Play it now
Mahjong is free on Suvi, on your phone or computer, no download. Also: Mahjong Pyramid · Mahjong Fortress · Mahjong Bridge.