Mahjong Sanctuary is played like traditional mahjong games, with an added sanctuary (zoo/animal habitat) building component. The game offers a tutorial which walks you through the first 11 levels and teaches you about the game as you play. It gives you free power-ups to use for those levels.
At level 25, as long as you have spent 25 stars, you can unlock the option to replay levels. It’s a good idea to progress at least this far in the game so you will have access to the go-to levels listed for each badge type below.
To find help with a specific badge in Mahjong Sanctuary, look through the list of challenge requirements in alphabetical order below.
Make # perfect season matches
Make # combos
Make # perfect flower matches
Make Combo X2/X3/X4 # times
Match # flower tiles
Match # season tiles
Match # tiles
Score # points
Win # games
Make # perfect season matches
There are no season tiles until you get to level 3.
In Mahjong, you can match any season tile with any other season tile. For example, you can match winter to spring. A perfect match is when you match two of the exact same tile together. For example, a perfect match would be matching a winter tile with another winter tile.
Life4Style says:
I used levels 3 and 4 for the Season Tiles Badge because, in both layouts, the season tiles are all on the top, or close to it, making them easy matches.
Make # combos
A combo in Mahjong Sanctuary is when you quickly match tiles. The more you match in a row, the higher the combo you will receive. If you feel discouraged by not being able to make combos when you first begin a puzzle, don’t worry. Combos will become easier to make as you flatten out the tiles and have less tiles on the playing field. Most combos come for many players as they are finishing a puzzle’s last 20 or so matches.
Levels 1 through 5 will allow you to make a combo easier since they feature easy ‘beginner’ layouts.
quietdi says:
I used Levels 4 and 5 — more matches and much higher scores than Levels 1-3, while still being quite easy. I was consistently getting a combo count of 60 per the 72 matches in Levels 4 and 5.
Make # perfect flower matches
Flower tiles do not appear in puzzles until level 4.
In Mahjong, you can match any flower tile with any other flower on tile. For example, you can match an orchid to a cherry. A perfect match is when you match two of the exact same tile together. For example, a perfect match would be matching an orchid tile with another orchid tile.
Make Combo X2/X3/X4 # times
See the hints above for Make # combos as well.
cookiepress says:
Level 1 is also good if you have to do the 3x… make 6 quick matches stop once the meter goes back make 6 more and repeat. You will get 9 a game
Match # flower tiles
Flower tiles do not appear in puzzles until level 4.
In Mahjong, you can match any flower tile with any other flower on tile.
The way Mahjong Sanctuary’s “match” badges are worded can be misleading — the game counts pairs of specific tiles toward this requirement, not individual tiles. So for a challenge requiring you to “Match 150 flower tiles”, you will need to match 150 pairs of flower tiles.
Match # season tiles
There are no season tiles until you get to level 3.
In Mahjong, you can match any season tile with any other season tile.
The way Mahjong Sanctuary’s “match” badges are worded can be misleading — the game counts pairs of specific tiles toward this requirement, not individual tiles. So for a challenge requiring you to “Match 120 season tiles”, you will need to play 30 games as you can only match 4 sets of season tiles per game.
FADEDWILDROSE says:
Level 3 has the seasons right on top every time. I tried just matching the seasons and exiting (going back to sanctuary) and found that those seasons counted. Of course that means going back to the sanctuary every time, so if you have even minimum skill you may want to complete level 3 and “play next level” through 4 and 5 which are relatively easy. All 3 of these levels lend themselves well to finding first any set of tiles that have all 4 showing right at the start.
Match # tiles
For this challenge, it’s a good idea to play whatever levels you enjoy. Working towards completing levels you haven’t yet finished is a good idea since this badge doesn’t require you to win, it just requires you to match tiles as you would play.
The way Mahjong Sanctuary’s “match” badges are worded can be misleading — the game counts pairs of specific tiles toward this requirement, not individual tiles. It can help to think of the requirement as wanting you to “Match # pairs of tiles”.
Score # points
To score more points, try to make perfect matches of season and flower tiles. A perfect match is when you match two of the exact same season or flower tile together. For example, a perfect match would be matching an orchid tile with another orchid tile.
Level 3 is a good go-to level for this badge, but you can also get almost as high scores in levels 4 and 5.
Win # games
If you are in a pinch for time, do not have this badge activated while trying to make progress in the game and complete levels you have never played before. Instead, replay a level that you are comfortable with and can win. Level 1 is a simple level that any player of any skill level should be able to easily win.