The basics: free tiles
Tiles are stacked in a layout, sometimes several layers high. You can only take a tile that is free:
- nothing lies on top of it, even partly, and
- its left side or its right side is open (no tile right next to it on that side).
Free tiles are highlighted, so you never have to guess. Match two identical free tiles to clear them, and keep going until the table is empty. Every board in Plum Mahjong is dealt backwards from a cleared table, so every board can be solved.
Tray mode
Tray mode is the default. Tap any free tile and it moves down into the tray, which has four slots.
- When two matching tiles are in the tray, they clear each other.
- If the tray fills up with four different tiles, the board is lost. The tray warns you when only one slot is left.
- Taking a tile out of the layout can free the tiles under and beside it, so look before you tap.
Tip: Before you tap a tile, check whether its partner is free too, or will be soon. Keeping the tray nearly empty gives you room to dig for the tile you need.
Classic pairs
Prefer the traditional game? Switch to classic pairs in Settings. There is no tray: tap one free tile, then its matching free partner, and both are cleared. If no pairs are left to take, Shuffle gets you going again.
Hint, Undo and Shuffle
Hint
Shows a good next move: a pair to take, or a tile to uncover.
Undo
Takes back your last move.
Shuffle
Rearranges the remaining tiles into a new position that can still be solved.
You start with a few of each, and you can get more with the coins you earn by playing. Using helpers is fine, but a board cleared without them earns the most stars.
Hidden tiles
On some levels, tiles lie face-down while anything covers them. Clear what is on top and they turn over.
Peek: press and hold a tile you cannot take yet to see it. A face-down tile shows its face as a soft preview, and a partly covered tile lifts so its whole face shows. Let go and it settles back. Peeking never makes a move. With a keyboard, focus the tile and hold Space.
Ice
Frozen tiles cannot be taken yet. The number on the ice shows how many more matches it takes to thaw them. Every pair you clear anywhere on the board counts.
Locks and keys
Locked tiles open when you match the pair of tiles marked with a gold key. Find the key pair early: in tray mode, a key only counts once its pair is actually matched, not just moved to the tray.
IQ+ tiles
About one pair in ten carries a gold IQ+ badge. Matching an IQ+ pair doubles the IQ it earns, so keep an eye out for them.
Stars, IQ and combos
- Stars: clear a board without any hint, undo or shuffle for three stars, with up to three helpers for two, and with more for one.
- Player IQ is your progress number. It rises a little with every pair, more for combos and IQ+ pairs, and jumps when you clear a board (more for more stars). Rising IQ opens new places to play in, from Plum Garden to Rain Retreat.
- Combos: quick matches one after another build a combo that scores extra points.
- Daily streak: clear at least one board a day to keep your quiet streak going.
- Levels with stages have more than one board in a row. Your score, time and combo carry over, and you can retry just the stage that went wrong.
Online modes
Open Online in the game to play people live. Play anyone, or invite a friend with a room link or code. Your rating in each mode goes up when you win and down when you lose.
Race
Same puzzle, your own board. You both get the identical deal; the fastest clear wins. The last few pairs become a sprint.
Battle
One board, both at once. Grab pairs before the other player does; each pair scores for whoever takes it.
Duel
One board, take turns, ten seconds a move. Faster moves score more points.
When nobody is free for a Race, you can race a recording of a real player’s earlier run on the same board instead. It is clearly marked as recorded, never passed off as live.
Challenges: after clearing a board, share a challenge link. Your friend plays the very same board and sees your time to beat. No account is needed to accept one.