Wreath Mahjong Solitaire
About the Wreath Layout
The Wreath is a thick round ring of tiles with an open hole punched through the center, like a fat circular donut of foliage hung on a door. Tiles wrap all the way around the loop in a dense, even band, layered up through the middle of the ring's thickness so the outer and inner edges sit a little lower than its raised core. The hollow center is genuinely empty, which gives the board two separate borders to work from, the outside rim and the inside rim, both circling the very same ring.
Rated 3 out of 5, the Wreath is a deceptively tricky shape. Because the ring is closed, tiles loop around endlessly with no true ends to nibble from, so your free tiles come from the inner and outer edges rather than from any tidy left or right side. The challenge is keeping the ring from locking up as you thin it, since clearing unevenly can strand matching tiles on opposite arcs of the circle. It is a circular puzzle that asks for a bit of patience and a steady, even hand.
Difficulty: Hard (3/5) | Tiles: 94
How to Clear the Wreath Layout
Unlike most boards, the Wreath gives you two open edges at once: the outer rim and the inner rim of the hole. Both are lined with free tiles, so scan all the way around both circles before each move instead of fixating on one spot. The empty center is your friend, because it means the inner edge is just as workable as the outer.
Clear evenly around the ring rather than digging a deep notch in one place. Because the loop has no ends, chewing a hole through one arc can leave matching tiles isolated on the far side with nothing nearby to pair them against. Rotate your attention around the circle to keep the whole band thinning at a similar pace.
The crux is the raised core running along the middle of the ring's thickness. Those central tiles are pinned between the outer and inner layers and only open once you have peeled both edges back, so they are the real obstacle. Work both rims inward together so the core is exposed all around at roughly the same time, rather than freeing it in one section while it stays buried elsewhere.
In the endgame you are typically left with scattered tiles spread around the loop, which can be awkward when partners sit on opposite arcs. Hold a flower or season in reserve, since flowers match any flower and seasons match any season, to bridge a pair separated across the ring. If the circle deadlocks, the Shuffle button re-deals the remaining tiles into another guaranteed-solvable ring.
The Story Behind the Wreath Layout
The evergreen wreath is one of the oldest decorative forms still in everyday use, with circular greenery once worn as crowns and later hung as a sign of welcome and of the unbroken circle of the year. Its endless loop with no beginning or end is the whole point of the symbol, a shape meant to suggest continuity, and that very feature is what makes it such an unusual Mahjong board.
Most layouts have edges and corners that naturally feed you free tiles, but the wreath has none, only two concentric rims chasing each other around a hole. That closed-loop quality turns a familiar holiday decoration into a genuinely different kind of puzzle, where you are always working around a circle rather than across a field, and that novelty is a big part of its appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do free tiles come from on the Wreath?
From two edges at once: the outer rim of the ring and the inner rim around the empty center. Both circles are lined with free tiles, so check all the way around both before choosing a move.
Why does the Wreath lock up so easily?
Because the ring is a closed loop with no ends, clearing too deeply in one spot can strand matching tiles on the opposite arc with no nearby partner. Thinning the band evenly all the way around prevents this.
What is the hardest part of the board to clear?
The raised core running through the middle of the ring's thickness. Those tiles are pinned between the outer and inner layers, so peel both rims inward together to expose the core evenly all around.
How do I handle the last few scattered tiles?
Keep a flower or season tile in reserve. Since flowers match any flower and seasons match any season, they can bridge a final pair stuck on opposite sides of the ring. If it fully deadlocks, Shuffle re-deals the rest solvably.
See more Holiday Mahjong boards, or browse all layouts.
