Six-Point Star Mahjong Solitaire
About the Six-Point Star Layout
The Six-Point Star is the showpiece of the geometric set: a Star of David built from two overlapping triangles, with a hundred and four tiles arranged so that six sharp points radiate out from a thickly layered center. One triangle points up, the other points down, and where they cross they form a hexagonal core that is stacked higher than the arms. The result looks intricate and a little intimidating, all spikes and overlaps, and it plays with the kind of bite that look implies.
This is a four out of five, and it earns that rating in the middle. The six points are easy, almost gifts, because each arm is a thin spur of tiles with plenty of free edges. The trouble lives in the dense center where the two triangles interlock, layered deep and surrounded on all sides. You will clear the star's outline quickly and then find the real game is just beginning. It rewards patience and a good memory for where the buried suits are hiding.
Difficulty: Expert (4/5) | Tiles: 104
How to Clear the Six-Point Star Layout
Harvest the six points first, but do not strip them blindly. Each arm is a short ramp of tiles leading inward, and the very tip is always free. Work each point from its tip toward the body of the star, and you will both score easy pairs and start opening the edges of the central hexagon where the difficulty really sits.
Attack the center from its six inner corners, not its flat faces. The overlapping hexagonal core is reachable wherever an arm meets the body, because those junctions leave a tile with a free outer side. Those six entry points are your only way into the stacked middle, so keep them clear and feed your matches through them rather than hoping a face tile frees itself.
The crux is the deepest layer of the interlock, where the up-triangle and down-triangle share the same square of space. Tiles there are pinned by neighbors on every side and only release once you have thinned both triangles above them. Try to lower the two triangles evenly; if you over-clear one and leave the other tall, the shared core stays jammed.
Going into the endgame, the danger is matched tiles sitting stacked in that core. Before you commit your last several moves, scan for any suit you are holding three or four of, since those are what get stranded vertically in the middle. If you find two needed tiles stacked directly on top of each other with nothing else to play, Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles into a fresh solvable arrangement so you are never truly dead.
The Story Behind the Six-Point Star Layout
The six-pointed star, the hexagram, is one of humanity's most widely shared symbols. Best known today as the Star of David, the same figure appears in older traditions as a union of opposites: the upward triangle of fire and the downward triangle of water, masculine and feminine, heaven and earth interlocked. This layout makes that union physical, two triangles of tiles literally woven through one another so neither can be removed without disturbing the other.
Geometrically the hexagram is what you get when you extend the sides of a regular hexagon until they meet, which is exactly why this board has a hexagonal heart wearing six triangular points. That construction is the source of the board's character: the points are mere extensions and come away easily, while the hexagon at the core is the original solid figure and the last thing to yield.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which part of the Six-Point Star should I clear first?
The six points. Each arm is a thin spur with a free tile at the tip, so you can rake them inward for quick, safe matches. Clearing the arms also exposes the junctions where they meet the central hexagon, which are your way into the hard middle.
I cleared all the points but the center is stuck. What now?
Stop attacking the flat faces of the hexagon and feed your matches through the six inner corners where the arms joined the body. Those junctions are the only naturally free edges on the core, and you have to thin both interlocking triangles evenly to release the deepest shared tiles.
Why is this rated harder than the other geometric shapes?
Because the two triangles overlap, the central hexagon is layered deep and surrounded on every side, with far fewer free edges than a simple stacked pyramid. The outline is easy but the interlocked core demands careful sequencing, which pushes it to four out of five.
What if two tiles I need are stacked right on top of each other?
That can happen in the dense center, and it is exactly what Shuffle is for. Pressing it re-deals all remaining tiles into another guaranteed-solvable layout. Every star is winnable to begin with, since it is built backwards from a solved board.
See more Geometric Mahjong boards, or browse all layouts.
