- Tiles
- Layers
- Difficulty
Wide body, quick start
The Fish is an oval of tiles with a raised back running along its middle and a forked tail fanning out behind it. The rounded body means many rows are short at the top and bottom, so there are lots of free tiles from the first move.
The challenge sits in the widest rows across the middle. They are long, and the raised back covers their centre, so they open slowly.
Strategy tips
- Lower the back first. The raised back covers the middle of the long rows. Clear it from the top before working on the body.
- Open the long rows from both ends. Both ends of each middle row can be freed, and clearing from both sides halves the work.
- Keep the fins for later. The tail fins are easy pairs. Saving a few gives you moves when the body is blocked.
- Watch the joint. Two short rows link the tail to the body. Clearing them frees the ends of the body’s middle rows.
A good next step
If you enjoyed the Butterfly, the Fish is the natural next layout: just as friendly at the start, with more to think about in the middle.
How to play Fish Mahjong
- 1
Find a free tile
A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and its left or right side is open.
- 2
Pick a matching pair
Tap two free tiles with the same picture. Any two flowers match each other, as do any two seasons.
- 3
Clear the board
Matched pairs disappear. Keep pairing until every tile is gone to win.
- 4
Use the helpers
Hint shows a playable pair, Undo takes back a move, and Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles if you run out of moves.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles are in the Fish layout?
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The Fish uses the full 144 tiles in 3 layers, with a wide oval body, a raised back and a two-pronged tail.
Is Fish easy or hard?
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It is one of the easier layouts. The body is mostly one layer deep at the edges, so tiles free up quickly, but the long middle rows still need some planning.
What should I do with the tail?
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The tail fins are short stacks that are free almost from the start. Use them when the body runs out of pairs rather than clearing them all straight away.
Why do the body rows take longest to clear?
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The rows across the widest part of the body are thirteen tiles long. A middle tile only becomes free once one side of its row is cleared.