Mahjong Memory · How to Play

How to Play Mahjong Memory: Rules, Scoring and the Daily Board

Updated 2026-10-30

Mahjong Memory is the card-flipping pairs game you probably played as a kid, just with mahjong tiles instead of playing cards. You don't need to know how to play mahjong at all. If you can tell whether two tiles look the same, you're good to go. Read through the four steps below and you can jump straight into a game.

All the tiles start face down

Each board picks a handful of the 34 kinds of mahjong tile, puts in exactly two of each, shuffles them and lays them out face down in a grid. The starter board is 4 × 4 with 8 pairs; the biggest, the expert board, is 6 × 8 with 24 pairs.

Every tile back looks the same, so when you start you know nothing at all. That's totally normal. Everyone begins by flipping at random.

Flip two tiles each turn

Tap a tile and it flips over. Tap another one and that flips too. If the two don't match, like these:

then take a good look while they're still face up, and remember which tile sits where. As soon as you tap your next tile, those two turn face down again.

A match stays face up

Two identical tiles make a pair. They stay face up for the rest of the game and you can forget about them:

Here's where the real skill comes in. When you flip a new tile and think "hang on, I've seen this one", go straight to the spot where you remember it. The better you remember, the fewer flips you need.

Clear the board and check your score

Find every pair and the game is over. Your result has two numbers:

• Flips: every tile you turn over counts as one. This is your main score, and lower is better.
• Time: from your first flip to your last match. Time only breaks ties when flips are equal.

So how many flips does each board take? We had the computer play loads of games with a perfect memory (it never forgets a tile it has seen). Here are the averages:

"Fewest flips" is the pure-luck limit where every single turn is a match. If you get close to the perfect-memory average, you're doing really well.

The daily board

Every day at 00:00 UTC a new daily board comes out, and everyone in the world plays the same 6 × 6 board. Your first finish of the day is your daily score. You can keep playing after that for practice, but it won't replace your score.

When you finish, hit "Share result" to copy a bit of text like this, then paste it into a group chat or social post to challenge your friends:

Tile Names mode

Turn on "Tile Names" in the lobby and every time you flip a tile, the screen tells you its name in your language. For example, is the 9 of Characters and is the Green Dragon. After a few games you'll know the Characters, Dots, Bamboo, Winds and Dragons without even trying. To learn them properly, see learn the mahjong tiles while you flip.

Beginner tips

1. Start on the 4 × 4 starter board and move up once you're comfortable.
2. When two tiles don't match, don't rush to tap the next one. Say their names and positions to yourself first.
3. Flip row by row instead of tapping all over the place. It's much easier to remember.
4. Want more tricks? Check out our memory game tips.

Feeling ready? Head back to the free mahjong memory game and pick a board, or go straight to today's daily board.

FAQ

Do I have to wait for the tiles to flip back before tapping the next one?

Nope. Two tiles that don't match stay up for a moment and then flip back, but you can tap the next tile right away and they'll flip back immediately. Your flip count is the same either way.

What happens if I tap a tile that's already face up?

Matched tiles, and the tile you just flipped this turn, can't be tapped, so they don't count as a flip.

Can I replay the daily board?

Yes, as practice. Your daily score only counts the first time you finish that day's board.

If I switch phones or clear my browser data, are my scores still there?

Scores are only saved in the browser on this device, so they won't be there on a new device or after you clear your data.

Does this game have anything to do with playing mahjong?

It uses mahjong tiles, but it's a memory matching game and has nothing to do with the rules of mahjong. No money is involved, ever. If you want to learn mahjong one day, playing the tile memory game online is a great way to get to know the tiles first.