Reference
Tiles Explained
TapMahjong uses a full 144-tile Mahjong set. Most tiles must match identically. Flowers and seasons are the exception—they match within their own group.
The three suits
Each suit has tiles numbered 1 through 9. There are four copies of every tile (36 tiles per suit).
Dots (Circles)
Also called balls or pin. One circle up to nine circles on the face. Match rank and suit exactly.
Bamboo (Bams)
Sticks or sou. The 1-bamboo is often a bird; 2–9 show bamboo sticks. Match rank and suit exactly.
Characters (Cracks)
Wan or wanzi—Chinese numerals with the wan symbol. Match rank and suit exactly.
Honour tiles
Honours do not have numbers 1–9 in the same way. There are four copies of each honour (16 winds + 12 dragons = 28, plus 8 bonus = 36 honours in classic counting; solitaire uses the full set).
Winds
East, South, West, and North. Each wind matches only the same wind.
Dragons
Red (Chung), Green (Fa), and White (Po / blank). Each dragon matches only the same dragon.
Bonus tiles
These tiles break the “identical picture” rule. In TapMahjong they still come in pairs on the board.
Flowers (4 tiles)
Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo flower designs. Any flower matches any other flower.
Seasons (4 tiles)
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Any season matches any other season.
Two “3 bamboo” tiles match. A flower and a season do not match each other—only flower–flower or season–season pairs work.
Why 144 tiles?
- 3 suits × 9 ranks × 4 copies = 108
- 7 honour types × 4 copies = 28 (4 winds + 3 dragons)
- 4 flowers + 4 seasons = 8
- Total: 108 + 28 + 8 = 144
Reading the face quickly
- Check if the tile is a flower or season (illustrated scenes, not suit patterns).
- Otherwise identify suit: circles, bamboo sticks, or Chinese characters.
- For honours, look for wind characters or coloured dragons.
- Only select tiles that are free—see How to Play.