How to Play
The turtle is the classic stack: 144 tiles on five layers, with a single tile crowning the top and three odd tiles poking out of its sides. Your goal is to take the whole thing apart, two matching tiles at a time.
Tap or click a free tile to pick it up, then tap its match to remove both. A free tile has nothing lying on it and an open left or right side. If you tap one that isn't free it gives a little shake. Pinch or use the zoom buttons to look closer; the board opens fitted to your screen.
Rules
- Tiles match when they're the same: the same number of the same suit, the same wind, or the same dragon. Any flower matches any flower, and any season any season.
- Every deal can be cleared: it's built by taking matching pairs off the full turtle in an order that works.
- Undo takes back your last match as often as you like. A hint shows a pair you can take. A shuffle rearranges the tiles left so they can still all be cleared.
- The Daily Challenge is one board for everyone and one try a day, ranked by time. Each hint adds 15 seconds and each shuffle 30.
Tips & Strategy
Free the long rows first
The top and bottom rows on the table layer are twelve tiles long and only open at their ends. Work them from the outside in, or their middle tiles stay locked until late.
Watch the three side tiles
The lone tile on the left and the pair on the right close off the ends of the two middle rows. Take them early and both rows open from that side.
Count before you match
When three matching tiles are free, take the two that uncover the most and keep the third.
Dig out the crown
The top tile sits on four, which sit on a four-by-four layer, on a six-by-six one. Taking that tower down early gives you more choices later.
FAQ
Can every game really be won?
Yes. Every board is dealt so that some order of matches clears it. You can still paint yourself into a corner; undo or a shuffle gets you out.
What do the letters and numbers in the corners mean?
They name each tile: 1 to 9 for the three suits, E, S, W and N for the winds, R, G and P for the red, green and plain dragons, F1 to F4 for flowers and S1 to S4 for seasons.
How is the Daily Challenge timed?
From Start to your last match, plus the hint and shuffle penalties. The server replays your moves on today's board to check the time.