Tenpai · Understanding Mahjong
Turtle and Courtyard
The same matching rules, two different arrangements. Turtle offers a large stacked layout; Courtyard leaves its centre open.
Turtle · 144 tiles
Turtle starts with 144 tiles on five levels, making 72 pairs. Its broad base, projecting side tiles and high central stack determine which positions gradually become accessible.
A visible design does not automatically mean a free tile: overlapping tiles and neighbours can still block it. Removing the upper layers opens up new possibilities underneath.
Courtyard · 72 tiles
Courtyard starts with 72 tiles on three levels, making 36 pairs. The tiles surround an open centre. The inner edges can also create free sides; the rule about covering tiles remains the same.
With fewer tiles, the board is easier to take in at a glance. A sequence of legal moves can still lead to a dead end, so it is worth looking at which tiles a pair would uncover.
Which layout suits you?
If you are learning when tiles are free, Courtyard offers a smaller board to try. Choose Turtle for a larger layout with more stacked tiles. Fewer tiles do not guarantee that every game will be easier to solve.
Both layouts are available at the game table. You can set your default for new games under Game → Game settings → Your defaults. The factory setting is Turtle with Jade tiles on light green leather.
Changing the view does not change the game
Portrait, landscape or computer: the tile positions stay the same. “Whole board” shows the complete layout. After zooming in, you can pan around the board and then return to the overview.
Tenpai generates new games with at least one solution. A hint shows only a currently legal pair, however, not a guaranteed winning move. The rules explain how Hint, Undo and Shuffle work.