Reading a Photon Mahjong Board, Layer by Layer

Photon Mahjong is easy to learn: find two matching free tiles and remove them.

The tricky part is deciding which pair to take first.

A tile is free when nothing is sitting on top of it and at least one side is open. But just because two tiles can be matched doesn’t mean you should remove them right away.

I usually look for pairs that uncover more tiles underneath. Opening up the board gives you more choices later and makes it less likely you’ll get stuck.

If you can’t spot anything, the hint is useful for getting your eyes moving again.

That’s basically the game: don’t rush the first match you see. Try to open the board instead.