Temple Mahjong Solitaire
About the Temple Layout
The Temple lays out 122 tiles as a classical Greek sanctuary: a colonnade of upright columns marching across the front, supporting a broad triangular pediment above. The rhythm of the columns gives the board a strong vertical beat, evenly spaced piers separated by gaps, while the pediment caps them with a wide triangle that narrows to a peak. It is one of the more orderly and readable shapes in the set, its symmetry and repetition immediately legible from the top down.
At 3 out of 5 this is the gentlest of the architecture boards, a good place to enjoy the category without a brutal fight. The gaps between the columns mean fewer tiles are ever fully buried, so legal moves stay plentiful and the pace is calm. The one real test is the pediment, whose layered triangle stacks tiles more deeply than the open colonnade below, so the difficulty, mild as it is, lives in the roof rather than the columns.
Difficulty: Hard (3/5) | Tiles: 122
How to Clear the Temple Layout
Open along the bases of the columns and the spaces between them. The colonnade is full of vertical gaps, so column tiles are exposed on their sides and give you abundant matches from the very first move. Clearing here is low-risk and keeps the whole front of the temple flowing.
Because the columns are separate vertical runs, you can afford to work several at once. Spread your matches across the colonnade rather than tearing down a single column, which keeps a wide variety of suits available and stops any one pier from becoming a bottleneck.
The crux is the triangular pediment overhead. Its tiles sit in stacked rows that only open from the outer edges inward toward the peak, and the apex tile is the most deeply locked on the board. Peel the pediment symmetrically from both sloping sides so its layers unzip evenly; lopsided clearing here is the main way to trap a tile near the top.
For the endgame, keep a couple of easy column pairs unspent as a safety net for when you are working the upper pediment, where free tiles thin out. The colonnade is generous enough that you can usually leave two or three such pairs standing without any cost, and having them in your back pocket turns a tense final stretch into a formality. Should the roof ever seal, Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles into a solvable arrangement, but on a board this forgiving you will rarely need it.
The Story Behind the Temple Layout
The Temple is modeled on the post-and-lintel architecture of ancient Greece, where rows of columns carried a horizontal entablature and a triangular pediment crowned the front. That pediment, the gable filled with sculpture on real temples, becomes the layered apex of this board, the part that demands the most patience.
The repeated columns embody the classical ideals of order, proportion and balance that made these buildings templates for civic architecture for millennia. The evenly spaced piers are the visual signature of the Greek temple, the same disciplined rhythm you see in the Parthenon, and the layout honors that by being the most symmetrical shape in the category, a structure whose calm regularity is the whole point and the source of its relaxed pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I start on the Temple?
Begin at the bases of the columns and in the gaps between them. The colonnade is full of vertical openings, so those tiles are exposed and give you plenty of matches right away with little risk.
Is the Temple a good layout for less experienced players?
Yes. At 3 out of 5 it is the easiest of the architecture boards. The gaps between columns keep many tiles accessible and legal moves abundant, so the pace stays relaxed and the only real challenge is the roof.
How should I handle the triangular pediment?
Clear it symmetrically from both sloping sides so its stacked rows open evenly toward the peak. The apex is the most deeply buried tile, and clearing one side faster than the other is the easiest way to strand a tile up there.
Is the Temple always solvable?
Yes. Every deal is generated by reversing a solved board, so a solution exists. If you ever run dry, Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles into another solvable layout.
