Windmill Mahjong Solitaire
About the Windmill Layout
Windmill arranges 66 tiles into four blades that sweep outward from a solid central hub, frozen mid-rotation. Each blade is a slanted arm of tiles angling away from the middle, and the hub anchors them all where the sails would meet the cap. The result has an unmistakable pinwheel symmetry, four matching limbs spinning around a still centre, and the diagonal slant of the blades gives the whole board a sense of motion even though nothing moves.
With a difficulty of three out of five this is a moderate, satisfying board for a shorter sitting. The blade tips dangle freely at the outer corners and are easy to clear, but the layout tightens as you move inward toward the congested hub. Because the four arms are symmetrical, the same tile types tend to appear in mirrored positions, which can be a gift when you spot a pair across two blades, or a trap when both copies of a tile end up sheltered near the centre at once.
Difficulty: Hard (3/5) | Tiles: 66
How to Clear the Windmill Layout
Begin at the blade tips. The outermost tile of each sail hangs off the corner of the board and is free on at least one side, so harvest those ends first. Working the four tips in rotation keeps the board balanced and steadily shortens every blade toward the hub.
Thanks to the windmill's symmetry, identical tiles frequently sit in the same spot on different blades. Use this deliberately: when you uncover a tile on one arm, scan the matching position on the other three arms for its partner. Matching across blades, rather than digging a single arm to the bone, keeps all four sails retreating evenly and avoids leaving one stranded.
The crux is the central hub, where the four blades converge and tiles overlap most heavily. This is the most blocked region of the board, so do not race into it. Peel the blades down to their roots first, then approach the hub once its surrounding tiles have been thinned, otherwise you risk burying a tile whose only twin is also locked in the middle.
In the endgame the survivors are the hub tiles and the last inner segments of each blade. Try not to use up all your common tiles on the outer arms; hold a flexible pair or two so you have a legal move when only the centre remains. Flower tiles match any flower and season tiles match any season, so a stray flower or season near the hub can be paired with a partner from a blade to break a logjam. If the centre seizes up entirely, Shuffle re-deals what is left into a solvable arrangement.
The Story Behind the Windmill Layout
The windmill is a machine disguised as a landmark, the great sailed tower that turned wind into the work of grinding grain or pumping water. Its four-armed silhouette is so iconic that it has become shorthand for the Dutch countryside and for an entire era of pre-industrial ingenuity. Capturing it as four tiled blades around a hub honours that rotational heart, the part that actually catches the wind and spins.
There is also a touch of the pinwheel and the toy in this shape, the simple delight of four arms whirling around a fixed point. Mahjong's tiles, with their fans of bamboo and circular dots, suit a design built on radial symmetry, and the board's frozen spin invites you to set it turning again by clearing one blade after another.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best opening move on the Windmill layout?
Clear the blade tips first. The outermost tile of each sail sits at a corner of the board and is free on at least one side, so taking those ends in rotation keeps the four arms shrinking evenly toward the hub.
How does the windmill's symmetry affect matching?
The four blades mirror one another, so identical tiles often appear in the same position on different arms. When you expose a tile, check the matching spot on the other blades for its twin; pairing across arms keeps the board balanced and avoids stranding a single blade.
Why is the centre of the Windmill so tricky?
The hub is where all four blades overlap, making it the most blocked part of the board. If both copies of a tile end up buried there at once, you can stall. Thin the blades down to their roots before committing to the centre, and keep a spare common pair for the final moves.
Can the Windmill board become unsolvable?
No deal is ever dead on arrival, because each board is built backwards from a solved state. If the hub locks up during play, the Shuffle button re-deals the remaining tiles into a new arrangement that is guaranteed to have a solution.
