GNOME Mahjongg

Category: Side games · Free open-source desktop mahjong solitaire (Linux, GNOME app)
Also called: Mahjongg (GNOME); gnome-mahjongg; org.gnome.Mahjongg; Apps for GNOME Mahjongg
Last checked: 2026-10-07

What it is

GNOME Mahjongg is the official, free and open-source mahjong solitaire game of the GNOME desktop project for Linux. It is listed on GNOME’s own Apps for GNOME catalog and installed from Flathub. Players remove matching pairs of free tiles from stacked layouts as fast as possible, choosing from ten starting layouts (Turtle through Taipei) and three tile themes. It is a single-player side game that uses the mahjong tile set. It is not four-player table mahjong and not a web portal.

Who it’s for

Linux desktop (and mobile Linux) users who want an ad-free, offline, no-account mahjong solitaire that runs natively. It also suits players who like a timed, score-tracked solo puzzle with keyboard shortcuts and saved games. Existing side-game listings on disk are browser portals or commercial mobile/console apps (Arkadium, Brainium, MobilityWare, Microsoft, Solitaire Bliss, The Mahjong, MahjongSolitaireOnline, Mahjong Online, PlayBoardGames, Mahjong City, Mahjong.now, Foony, Sunsoft Shanghai, etc.). None is a free open-source desktop app.

Why it’s listed

The plaza needs a new side-game slot that differs in kind from recent picks: Tuesday’s Foony (browser, Connect mode, co-op), Monday’s Mahjong.now, Friday’s Mahjong City and Thursday’s PlayBoardGames are all web portals. GNOME Mahjongg is a GPL-licensed native desktop app with active 2025–2026 releases.

• Apps for GNOME page (https://apps.gnome.org/Mahjongg/) returned 200 on 2026-10-07 under “Mahjongg – Apps for GNOME.”
  • Tagline: “Match tiles and clear the board.”
  • Description: a single-player tile-matching game, “commonly known as Mahjong solitaire.” Tiles are stacked on the board at the start, and the goal is to remove all of them in as little time as possible. You can only select a tile if there is an empty space to its left or right at the same level. “Tiles that look alike may actually be slightly different.”
  • You choose from a variety of easy and difficult starting layouts, and a hint is available but adds a large time penalty.
  • Maintainer: Mat (@mat). Latest version 51.1, released 2026-09-20. Install link points to Flathub.
• Flathub app page (https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.Mahjongg) returned 200: “by The Mahjongg Team.” Tagged Free, Safe, Desktop & Mobile, age rating 3+, about 4 MiB, and about 4,061 downloads/month on the check date. Architectures: x86_64 and aarch64. Changes in 51.1: fixed a crash in the Scores dialog, and a more balanced light background for the Smooth theme.
• Welcome to GNOME contributor page (https://welcome.gnome.org/app/Mahjongg/) returned 200: “The latest released version on Flathub is version 51.1.” Translations are handled through GNOME’s Damned Lies system, and nightly builds are offered for testing.
• Official source mirror (https://github.com/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg) returned 200. The NEWS file (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg/main/NEWS, 200) and app metainfo show:
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later (upgraded to GPLv3+ in 51.0).
  • Recent releases: 51.1 (2026-09-20), 51.0 (2026-09-18), 49.1 (2026-01-26), 49.0 (2025-09-17), 48.0 (2025-03-16).
  • Recent features: a pause menu and Escape-to-pause (49.1), and save and restore game state (49.beta). The help docs were replaced with an in-app Game Rules dialog, and a Keyboard Shortcuts dialog was added. The “Difficult” layout was renamed “Taipei” (49.beta).
  • In 48.1, boards remain solvable when possible after reshuffling, hints cycle instead of repeating at random, and you can inspect a finished game. Sequential and random layout progression modes and a Ctrl-R restart came in 48.alpha.
  • Supported controls: pointer and touch.
• Layout file in the official source (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg/main/data/maps/mahjongg.map, 200) defines ten layouts: Turtle, The Ziggurat, Four Bridges, Cloud, Tic-Tac-Toe, Red Dragon, Overpass, Pyramid’s Walls, Confounding Cross, Taipei. The source’s theme folder contains Educational, Postmodern and Smooth tile themes.

GNOME’s own GitLab (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg) returned HTTP 406 to curl (bot protection) on 2026-10-07. Repository facts above were read from GNOME’s official GitHub mirror instead. There is no browser, iOS, Android or Windows build on the official pages checked; it is a Linux app distributed as a Flatpak via Flathub. No price is listed: Flathub labels it Free, and no ads or accounts are mentioned on the pages checked.

Official URL

Official app page: https://apps.gnome.org/Mahjongg/

Install (Flathub): https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.Mahjongg

Contribute / latest version: https://welcome.gnome.org/app/Mahjongg/

Source and release notes (GNOME mirror): https://github.com/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg

Issue tracker (GNOME GitLab; returned 406 to curl): https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-mahjongg/issues

Location

Online download only (Linux desktop and mobile Linux via Flathub). No physical venue and no web-browser version.

Notes

• Mahjong solitaire, not four-player table mahjong. Don’t confuse it with Home games multiplayer clients.
• Official GNOME project app (Apps for GNOME catalog), open source under GPL-3.0-or-later. It is not a third-party portal re-hosting a game.
• Not the same as Microsoft Mahjong, Mahjong Titans or Arkadium titles already on disk.
• Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.

FAQ

Q: Is GNOME Mahjongg free?
A: Yes. Flathub labels it Free, and the source is licensed GPL-3.0-or-later.

Q: How do I play?
A: Select two matching tiles to remove them. You can only pick a tile with an empty space to its left or right at the same level. Clear the board in as little time as possible. Hints are available but add a large time penalty.

Q: What layouts does it include?
A: Ten: Turtle, The Ziggurat, Four Bridges, Cloud, Tic-Tac-Toe, Red Dragon, Overpass, Pyramid’s Walls, Confounding Cross and Taipei (formerly “Difficult”).

Q: What devices does it run on, and is it still updated?
A: It is a Linux app installed from Flathub (x86_64 and aarch64, desktop and mobile). The latest release on the check date was 51.1 (2026-09-20), following 51.0 (2026-09-18) and 49.x releases in 2025–2026.