Television Mahjong Solitaire
About the Television Layout
The Television board is a friendly retro set: a rounded boxy screen forms the main mass of tiles, resting on two short stubby legs, with a pair of thin antennas angling up from the top into a wide V. The screen is a gently filled rectangle, the legs are tiny two- or three-tile feet underneath, and the antennas are slender diagonal lines that reach into otherwise empty space above. It is a charming, instantly readable shape with a clear top, middle, and bottom that suggest a natural order of attack.
At 3 out of 5 this is a balanced board with a little extra texture from its add-on parts. The big screen plays much like any rectangular field, opening from the edges inward, but the antennas and legs introduce thin runs that behave differently and need their own attention. The difficulty sits squarely in the middle: nothing about the Television is brutal, yet leaving the spindly bits for too long can pinch you. It is a comfortable, satisfying solve with a touch of planning.
Difficulty: Hard (3/5) | Tiles: 134
How to Clear the Television Layout
Take the antenna tips first. The very ends of the two thin antennas, reaching up into empty space, are completely exposed, and each antenna is a single diagonal line that opens cleanly from the tip downward. Clearing both antennas early removes any tiles that overhang the top edge of the screen and tidies the board before you commit to the main mass.
Then open the screen from the edges inward. The rounded boxy screen is your bulk of tiles and the friendliest part of the board; its outer rows and columns are side-free, so sweep them to rack up matches. Keep the clearing roughly even across the screen so you do not bury the center under its own surrounding tiles.
Mind the stubby legs underneath. They are only a couple of tiles each, but they tuck under the bottom of the screen where they are easy to overlook, and a forgotten leg tile can be the lone match you are missing at the end. Free the legs as the bottom of the screen opens up so they are not stranded.
For the endgame you are usually finishing the heart of the screen. Watch for identical tiles stacked or sitting adjacent in those final rows and clear the more exposed one first to avoid sealing in its partner. The V of the antennas should already be gone by now. If the last tiles lock, Shuffle re-deals them into a guaranteed-solvable layout.
The Story Behind the Television Layout
The classic television silhouette, a curved-corner screen with rabbit-ear antennas, is one of the most nostalgic shapes of the last century, even as the real thing has slimmed down into a flat glass rectangle. Those antennas are what give this board its character: two thin diagonal lines breaking out of the boxy body turn an ordinary rectangle into something with personality and a recognizable profile from across the room.
There is a nice symmetry in clearing a screen tile by tile, as if you were switching the picture off one pixel at a time. The mix of a big simple body with delicate antennas and little feet gives players both the easy satisfaction of sweeping a field and the small puzzle of handling the thin parts, which is what makes the shape fun to play rather than just nice to look at.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I clear first on the Television board?
Start with the tips of the two antennas. They poke up into empty space and are fully exposed, and clearing them from the tip down removes any tiles overhanging the screen before you dig into the main body.
Why am I left with one unmatched tile at the end?
It is often a stubby leg tile under the bottom of the screen, which is easy to overlook. Free the legs as the lower screen opens up so a tucked-away foot tile is not the lone piece you cannot match.
Is the Television harder than it looks?
It is a fair 3 out of 5. The big screen is easy, but the thin antennas and small legs are narrow runs that need their own attention, so it asks a bit more planning than a plain rectangle.
Do the antennas block the screen tiles?
They can overhang the top edge slightly, so clear both antennas early. Once the V is gone, the screen opens freely from its edges inward with nothing dangling over it.
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