Tiles of the Unexpected
Tiles of the Unexpected is a matching game built around not being able to see the whole problem.
The board is stacked, so clearing a pair uncovers what was underneath, and what is underneath was not part of your plan. That is where the name comes from and it is the entire design: you cannot solve this board in advance, only respond to it.
Bombs sit in the mix as the counterweight. When the board turns against you and nothing is available, a bomb clears an area and gives you a new situation to read. It turns an unlucky uncovering from a dead end into a decision.
How to play
- Find two tiles showing the same icon and match them to remove the pair.
- The board is stacked, so removing tiles reveals new ones underneath.
- Bombs clear an area of the board when used.
- Clear the level to move on.
How to play Tiles of the Unexpected
Playing without full information
Because the board changes as you clear it, planning several moves ahead does not work the way it does in classic mahjong. What does work is keeping your options wide: at any moment you want several possible matches available, not one.
That means preferring the match that uncovers the most, since uncovering is how you generate new options.
Bombs
A bomb is worth most when the board has locked or nearly locked, not when it is merely awkward. Spending one to save ten seconds of scanning is how players arrive at a genuinely stuck board with nothing left.
Tips and strategy
Keeping options open
- Take matches that uncover new tiles over matches at the edges that reveal nothing.
- Count what is available before each move. If you are down to two possible matches, prioritise whichever opens more.
- Do not clear all of one icon type early. Leaving a spread of types across the board keeps future matches likely.
Using bombs
- Save them for a locked board rather than a slow one.
- Aim at the densest region. A bomb in an open area wastes most of its effect.
- If you finish a level with unused bombs and it felt tight, you spent the level too cautiously.
What goes wrong
- Trying to plan the board like a classic mahjong layout. You cannot see enough of it for that to work.
- Hoarding bombs to the point of losing a level with two in hand.
- Clearing the easy edges first and leaving a dense stack with no available matches.
More stacked matching is on the mahjong page and more in match 3.
More games like this
Play our free daily puzzles See all →
Made by us. One a day, the same for everyone, no sign up.
Last updated
Frequently asked questions
Why is the board unpredictable?
It is stacked, so removing a pair uncovers tiles that were hidden. You cannot plan the whole board in advance, only respond to what appears.
What do the bombs do?
They clear an area of the board. They are worth saving for a board that has genuinely locked rather than one that is just slow.
Is it the same as mahjong solitaire?
It shares the matching idea but not the planning. In mahjong you can read the whole layout, here most of it is hidden until you clear.
Is there a timer?
The pressure comes from the board changing rather than from a clock.
Is it free?
Yes. It runs in the browser with nothing to install and no account.