Which Mahjong layout should you play?
Every layout on this site uses the same 144 tiles and the same rules. What changes is the shape, and the shape decides how hard the game is. Two things matter most: how many layers the tiles are stacked in, and how many tiles are free when you start.
From easiest to hardest
| Layout | Layers | Free at the start | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden | 3 | about 64 | A calm five-minute game, or learning the rules |
| Butterfly | 3 | about 48 | Beginners who want a proper board |
| Turtle | 5 | about 35 | The classic. Balanced and familiar |
| Pyramid | 4 | about 38 | Players who like a tidy, logical board |
| Dragon | 4 | about 24 | A slow, tight game where every pair counts |
| Fortress | 5 | about 30 | The hardest board here |
Pyramid has more free tiles than the Turtle at the start, but it gets tight in the middle of the game, so it plays about as hard.
If you are new
Start on Garden. Its tiles sit in four separate courtyards that never block each other, so you can learn which tiles are free without getting stuck. Then move to Butterfly, which is a real single board but still shallow.
If you know the Turtle
Try Pyramid next. It has no odd corners, just four tiers stacked in a block, and it teaches you to count copies of a tile before you match them. Then try Dragon, which is long and low with a ridge down the middle that you need to clear early.
If you want a challenge
Fortress. Five levels, one inside the next, with long rows that pin their own middle tiles. Clearing it without a shuffle is a good day.
Whichever you choose, each layout has its own daily deal, so you can come back tomorrow for a new board that everyone else is playing too.