Mahjong Solitaire All layouts Garden Mahjong
Garden Mahjong
Garden Mahjong splits the 144 tiles into four small courtyards with space between them. Each courtyard is a low stepped block, and because they stand apart, the outer edge of every courtyard is always free.
About 64 tiles can be played the moment the board is dealt. Only Butterfly starts with more. This is the one to play when you want a calm game that is over in a few minutes.
How the layout is built
Every courtyard is the same: a base of 24 tiles, a second layer of 8, and 4 on top. That is 36 tiles each, and four courtyards make 144. Two sit on the left and two on the right.
How to play it well
Because the courtyards don’t touch, the game is really four small puzzles that share one set of tiles. The only way to get stuck is when all the copies of one tile are buried inside the same courtyard.
- Work on all four at once. Don’t finish one courtyard before starting the others. You want partners available everywhere.
- Take the tops first. The 16 top tiles are free from the start and each one frees the tiles below it.
- Use it to learn. If you are new to the game, a few rounds here will teach you the free tile rule. Then try Butterfly and the classic Turtle.
Why it is really easier
Some sites call a board “easy” when they have simply turned the timer off. Garden is easier because of its shape: fewer layers, more free tiles, and no long rows that pin tiles from the sides.
Garden layout at a glance
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Tiles
- 144 (72 pairs)
- Layers
- 3
- Board size
- 14 tiles wide, 9 rows deep
- Free at the start
- 64 tiles
- Cleared in our tests
- About 75%
The Garden layout stacks its 144 tiles in three layers: 96 on the table, 32 on layer 2, 16 on top.
How we rate difficulty. We had the computer play 200 games on each layout, picking moves the same way our Hint button does. On Garden it cleared the board without a shuffle in about 75% of games. That is easier than the classic Turtle, which comes in at about 50%. People who plan ahead do better than that, but the order of the layouts stays much the same. The full list is on the all layouts page.
More easy layouts and favourites
Every layout uses the same 144 tiles and the same rules. The shape is what changes, and the shape decides how hard the game is.
Turtle MahjongClassic The classic 144-tile board. Five layers, a long tail at each end. 
Butterfly MahjongEasy Two open wings and a slim body. The gentlest board to learn on. 
Arena MahjongEasy An oval ring of seating around an empty floor. 
Spider MahjongEasy A tall body with eight thin legs spread wide. 
Tower MahjongEasy Narrow and tall, five tiles high at the top. 
Pyramid MahjongMedium Four tiers stacked into a solid block. Peel it from the edges. See all 24 layouts, sorted by difficulty
Questions people ask
What is the easiest Mahjong layout?
Garden is one of the two easiest layouts here, with Butterfly. Its tiles are split into four separate courtyards, so about 64 tiles are free at the start and no courtyard ever blocks another.
How long does a game of Garden Mahjong take?
Most people finish in four to eight minutes. It is the quickest layout on the site.
Can you still get stuck?
It is rare, but yes. It happens when all four copies of a tile end up under the same courtyard. One shuffle nearly always fixes it.
Is Garden Mahjong free?
Yes. It is free in your browser with no download or sign-up.