Mahjong connect tiles

Mahjong connect tiles reworks the traditional matching format around pathfinding rather than layered stacking: two identical tiles can only be cleared if a connecting line between them exists with no more than two turns and nothing blocking the way. That restriction means an obvious-looking match is not always available to clear, since the direct path between two identical tiles might be boxed in by other pieces even when the tiles themselves are sitting right next to open space. Clearing tiles along the board's outer edges first tends to open up more valid connecting paths for the pairs left in the crowded middle, rather than working inward from the center and boxing yourself in early. Because every tile removed changes which paths are newly open or newly blocked, rereading the board after each match — — is usually the more reliable way to keep clearing pairs.