Mom's Mahjong

Welcome. This is a quiet matching game you can play at your own pace, on your own or with your crew. There is no clock unless you turn one on. For a table with no clock and no score at all, start with Sunday Still. For tiles that stay covered until they are free, start with Lantern Reveal. For a match-twice table, start with Second Glance. For today's shared puzzle, at your own pace, start with Today's Board. Nothing here is a test of your brain or health — it is just for fun.

1. What is a free tile?

You can only tap a tile that is free. A tile is free when two things are true:

• Nothing is sitting on top of it, and
• At least one of its long sides — the left or the right — is open, with no tile pressed against it.

If a tile will not move, it is not free yet. Clear the tiles that are blocking it, then try again. A gentle shake means that tile is still locked.

2. How matching works

Classic: Tap one free tile, then tap a second free tile that shows the same picture. The pair flies up and is gone. Keep going until the board is clear. Every board can be cleared.

Flowers and seasons: These are special. Any flower matches any flower, and any season matches any season. You do not need the same flower or the same season. Turn on Clear Flowers & Seasons in Settings (it is on to begin with) to see a pink scalloped FLOWER mark and a different teal notched SEASON mark, so they are easy to tell apart.

Flip: Every tile has two sides. First match two free ivory (front) tiles; they turn over to their pink side. Then match two pink tiles that show the same picture to clear them. Pink matches pink, ivory matches ivory.

Tray: Tap a free tile and it goes into the 7-slot tray at the top. Three of the same picture clear away. If the tray fills to seven with no set of three, use Undo or the Wand, or try the board again.

Matches never light up on their own. If you would like a little help, tap Hint or Magnet — those are the only times a pair is highlighted.

3. The helpers, and what they cost

Helpers are limited. They count down. They are never unlimited. Registered players can buy another use with Vaulted Chalupas (play money: never sold, no cash value). Guests get a few free uses on the first levels. The Chalupa symbol always sits in front of the amount.

• Undo — Takes back your last move. Cost: 25 after free uses.
• Hint — Lights up one pair you can play right now (or one tray tile). Cost: 50 after free uses.
• Magnet — You pick a tile; the game shows that tile’s match, even if it is still buried. Cost: 50 after free uses (same as Hint). Until the game server adds Magnet, a registered player is not charged a different helper; a short local free allotment is used instead.
• Reshuffle — Mixes the tiles that are still on the board and keeps the board solvable. It is available on every level, including the hardest. Uses are limited, but there is always a way to get another: a remaining free use, 100 Vaulted Chalupas, or “Watch a short video (coming soon)” (the ad stays off for now). A dead “0” button is never the end of the path.
• Wand — Clears a matching set for you. Cost: 200 after free uses. Handy in Tray when the tray is full.
• Peek (Lantern Reveal only) — Shows the face of one covered tile. You pick the tile. It does not highlight a match, and it does not leave the tile permanently face-up if it is still blocked. Cost: 50 after free uses (same as Hint). In Lantern Reveal, helpers use a local free allotment; Vaulted Chalupa pay waits until the game server knows this mode.

With a free account, starting a level also costs a few Vaulted Chalupas (300 on early levels, up to 700 later). A win pays half of that back, or a little more for a clean clear. Guests can try levels 1 to 3 of each mode free. Boosters stay off in Versus.

4. Jumping to a level, and level codes

On the Choose a level screen you can type a level number (for example 100 or 2500) and tap Go, or type a short level code. Every level shows its code — four easy-to-read characters, with no lookalike letters or numbers (no O, 0, I, 1, or L). The same code always means the same mode and the same level, for everyone. Guests can play levels 1 to 3; a free account can jump to any level (a small start fee applies). The ladder has thousands of levels, on all 13 famous board shapes, and they get steadily richer.

5. Every setting, in plain words

• Gentle sound effects and Relaxing music are on when you first visit. There are two sliders: Music volume and Effects volume. Your choices are remembered on this device. There are no spoken words.
• Belt speed (Tray mode): Slow, Normal, or Paused.
• Color-blind friendly colors and High contrast make suits easier to tell apart. High contrast uses big plain symbols.
• Moving background and Less motion (Calm play’s cousin): turn the garden motion down if you prefer a still picture.
• Show timer is off to begin with. Your time is always kept for your best-time list; this only shows the clock while you play. Ordinary play has no clock pressure.
• Large tiles (the Normal / Large board): bigger pictures, and the board grows to fill the screen. Recommended, and on for a first visit.
• Clear Flowers & Seasons: on by default, and it turns on with Large tiles. Pink scalloped FLOWER marks and teal notched SEASON marks (shape plus color, not color alone). The matching rule does not change.
• Number helper badges are off to begin with. When you turn them on, boxed numbers appear on bamboo, circles, and characters to make matching easier. With them off, tiles show only their normal art. Your choice is remembered on this device, and it applies in every mode, including the Daily puzzle and Today's Board.
• Show flower & season backs (Lantern Reveal): on by default. Covered flower tiles show a five-petal blossom back, and covered season tiles show a diamond back, so you can tell those groups apart while they are still covered — by shape, not by color alone. Turn it off and every covered tile uses the same shared lantern back, with no hint of rank or of flower versus season.
• Tile names writes the English name on each tile. Tile labels shows numbers and wind letters. Both are off unless you turn them on.
• Calm play hides the score while you play.

Open Settings any time from the gear on the title screen or on the board.

Sunday Still

Sunday Still is the quiet table. Open it from the title. Pick one of the 13 famous boards (First Steps is a gentle place to start; the Turtle is the full 144-tile classic). There is no clock and no score — even if you have “Show timer” on in other modes, the clock stays off here. Large tiles and Clear Flowers & Seasons turn on when you sit down. You can still change them in Settings. Matching is the same as Classic: free tiles only, any flower matches any flower, any season matches any season. Helpers are limited, and Reshuffle is always available. There is no fail-out and no rush. When you clear the board, it feels like putting the last tile in the box. A big Lobby button is on every Sunday Still screen. This mode needs no game server.

Lantern Reveal

Lantern Reveal is the hidden-flip table. Open it from the title. Pick one of the 13 famous boards (First Steps is a gentle place to start; the Turtle is the full 144-tile classic). Covered tiles show an original lantern back until they become free; then they flip, slowly, with a soft glow, and play as normal. If you miss a flip, tap that tile to see it again. Flower and season backs use different shapes (a five-petal blossom and a diamond), so you can tell them apart while they are still covered — by shape, not by color alone. That is on by default; turn off Show flower & season backs in Settings and every covered tile uses the same shared lantern back, with no hint of rank or group. A regular covered tile never shows its rank. Large tiles and Clear Flowers & Seasons turn on when you sit down; those marks are readable once a tile is revealed. There is no clock. A limited Peek helper shows one covered face. Helpers are limited, and Reshuffle is always available. Matches never light up on their own. Nothing moves unless you tap. Every deal is solvable. A big Lobby button is on every Lantern Reveal screen. This mode needs no game server.

Second Glance

Second Glance is the match-twice table. Open it from the title. Pick one of the 13 famous boards (First Steps is a gentle place to start; the Turtle is the full 144-tile classic). Every tile has two original faces. Match two free ivory tiles that show the same picture; they turn over to a second face — large and high-contrast — and stay on the board. Then match that new face to clear them. Ivory matches ivory, and the second face matches the second face. Flower and Season marks stay on both faces. A small 2 mark sits on the flipped face so you can always tell which side is showing. Large tiles and Clear Flowers & Seasons turn on when you sit down. There is no clock. Helpers are limited, and Reshuffle is always available. Hint only lights one legal pair, never the whole board. Matches never light up on their own. Every deal is solvable. A big Lobby button is on every Second Glance screen. This mode needs no game server. Helpers use a local free allotment; Vaulted Chalupa pay waits until the game server knows this mode.

Today's Board

Today's Board is the quiet daily puzzle. Open it from the title. Everyone, everywhere, gets the same solvable board on the same calendar day, using New York time. A new board comes at midnight, New York time. The deal is decided from the date, so a reload on the same day is the same table. Play at your own pace. There is no clock pressure: a timer is optional, and any time you see is shown softly and never fails you. Your personal streak and a local best time and moves stay on this device. Miss a day and you can still fill it in this month — there is no penalty and no paywall, and the game will not scold you about a streak. You can leave and come back; your board is waiting. Large tiles and Clear Flowers & Seasons turn on when you sit down. Helpers are limited, and Reshuffle is always available. Matches never light up on their own. Every deal is solvable. A big Lobby button is on every Today's Board screen. This mode needs no game server to play. Helpers use a local free allotment; any Chalupa reward stays in-game and local until the game server knows this mode. No real money.

The Daily Race — posting your time against other real people on this same board — is coming soon. It is not built in this version. The hook on the Today's Board screen is clearly disabled. The race will need a game-server change: a standings API that accepts a time for today's seed and returns a humans-only leaderboard. Tin Chalupas and badges only: no prizes, no real money.

6. Finding your way around

Every screen has Back and Lobby. Lobby takes you to the GOC game list. Back takes you one step back (to the level list, or to the title). This How to Play page is always in the lobby (the title of Mom’s Mahjong) and in Settings.

Mahjong solitaire is a matching puzzle for one player, using mahjong tiles. It is a different game from table mahjong, which four people play with rules of its own. Vaulted Chalupas are play money: never sold, no cash value, never cashed out. 18+ only. Your crew is welcome.