Hamburger Mahjong Solitaire

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About the Hamburger Layout

The Hamburger board stacks itself the way a real burger is built. A high, domed crown of tiles forms the top bun, swelling up in the middle and curving down at the sides. Beneath it sits a broad flat slab, the patty, that runs almost the full width of the board, and under that a rounded heel forms the bottom bun. Squeezed between the layers are thin wavy rows of lettuce, their ruffled edges poking out past the buns on both sides so the silhouette reads instantly as a sandwich. The middle of the board is the meatiest part, raised and double-stacked, while the edges thin out into single tiles.

The Hamburger plays as a friendly middle-of-the-road puzzle, a true 3 out of 5. It is not a quick snack and not a marathon either. The lettuce fringe gives you easy openers right away, so you never start stuck, but the layered bun-patty-bun construction in the center means real tiles are buried two and three deep and you have to earn them. The feel is satisfying and rhythmic: nibble the soft edges, then dig through the stack from the outside in. Players who like a board with an obvious plan and a gentle but genuine squeeze in the middle tend to enjoy this one a lot.

Difficulty: Hard (3/5) | Tiles: 98

How to Clear the Hamburger Layout

Start with the lettuce. Those ruffled rows between the buns and patty stick out on the left and right ends, and the outermost tiles there are free on a side immediately. Clearing the lettuce fringe first is the single best opening move because it does double duty: it scores easy pairs and it exposes the ends of the bun and patty rows that were tucked behind it. Work both wavy edges before you touch anything tall.

Next, peel the buns from their outer curves inward. The domed top bun and rounded bottom bun are each widest and tallest in the middle, which means the center tiles are the most blocked. Do not poke at the crown of the top bun early; instead take the tiles sloping down its sides, where each removal frees its neighbor toward the center. Treat the top and bottom buns as two fans you are collapsing toward the middle.

The crux is the patty, the flat double-stacked slab in the core. It is sandwiched left-right by the buns and lettuce and pinned top-bottom by the upper and lower layers, so it stays locked until you have thinned everything around it. Resist the urge to break into the center too soon. Aim to keep at least one matchable pair available on the patty itself rather than spending both of a kind early, because the patty is where most dead-ends happen if you strip your options. If you do stall, the Shuffle button re-deals the remaining tiles into a solvable arrangement.

For the endgame, the last tiles usually sit at the very peak of the top bun and dead center of the patty stack, the two most overlapped spots. Once the sides are gone these come free quickly, so save broad-matching tiles like flowers and seasons for here. A flower matches any flower and a season matches any season, so holding one in reserve lets you clear an otherwise awkward final pair at the summit without hunting for an exact twin.

The Story Behind the Hamburger Layout

The hamburger is one of the most recognizable foods on earth, and almost all of that recognition is about its silhouette: the puffy domed bun on top, the flat disc of patty, the slimmer heel underneath, often with a frill of lettuce escaping the sides. That layered, symmetrical stack is exactly what makes it a natural for Mahjong Solitaire, because the game is itself a game of stacked, overlapping layers. Building a tile board as a cross-section of a sandwich lets the artwork lean into the puzzle's own depth.

There is a nice harmony between the food and the format here. A burger is something you assemble layer by layer and then take apart bite by bite, and that is precisely how you clear this board, working down through bun, lettuce, and patty. The wavy lettuce edges, beyond just looking tasty, give the layout its softened outline and its easy opening moves, turning a familiar lunch into a board that feels playful and inviting before the center asks anything serious of you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I make my first move on the Hamburger board?

Go for the lettuce. The wavy lettuce rows poke out past the buns on the far left and right, and those end tiles are free on one side from the start. Clearing them first scores easy pairs and uncovers the ends of the bun and patty rows hiding behind them.

Why does the middle of the board feel so stuck?

The center is where the burger is tallest and most layered, with the patty double-stacked and pinned between the top and bottom buns. Those tiles are blocked on multiple sides until you thin out the edges. Clear the lettuce and the outer curves of both buns first, and the center will gradually open up.

Is the Hamburger layout hard?

It sits right in the middle at 3 out of 5. The lettuce fringe gives you plenty of easy starting moves so you are never stuck at the opening, but the stacked bun-patty-bun core in the center requires patience and a bit of planning. It is approachable without being trivial.

What is the best way to handle the final tiles?

The last pairs almost always sit at the peak of the top bun and the dead center of the patty, the two most overlapped spots. Save your flower and season tiles for the end, since a flower matches any flower and a season matches any season, letting you close out an awkward final pair without needing an exact match.

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