Mahjong is purely a tile game of memory, skill, strategy, and summation. It is originally from China, but over time it has gained significant popularity across the world in different cultures and spaces.
In the classic or offline version of the game, the players have a total of 136 tiles, which they have to place in identical Mahjong sets and use these tiles to create matching pairs. Mahjong has been a classic in Chinese culture for centuries, and it goes back to the 1800s.
Naturally, online games were invented to help kill boredom and act as a stress reliever. It is no different with Mahjong. In fact, there are a series of different online Mahjong versions including Mahjong Solitaire, Mahjong Candy, Mahjong Dimensions, and Mahjong Dark Dimensions.
Mahjong is popular mainly because it is an excellent game for anyone looking to build their memory and develop Mahjong’s strategy and skill. As a player, you can easily enjoy online Mahjong on your phone, on the screen of your computer, iPad, or any Android gadget.
The best part about this game is the fact that one can play against other players online. As such, you can easily test your skill against that of others. That means you can also earn and develop your skills.
It is not a requirement, however, and if you are more comfortable playing by yourself you can still do that. The diversity in the different variations of Mahjong will ensure that you don’t get bored. They will sharpen your skills in the game, improve your memory, and probably help you gain some real-life insights on strategy.
Mahjong rules vary across different regions. However, the basic rules remain and they are founded on and feature the following tiles:
Normally, online Mahjong will give you 144 Mahjong pieces to play with, as opposed to the expected 136. That’s because these games will give you an additional 8 tiles: 4 flower tiles and 4 season tiles.
When you start playing Mahjong, you get 14 tiles that you have to place in 4 sets and a pair. The Mahjong sets are named either pung or chow, and they are both equal.
When you play Mahjong online, you earn points depending on your speed to make correct moves. The points vary significantly depending on the version of the Mahjong game you are playing.
When playing free Mahjong, ensure to verify the manner in which you earn points and the way they are recorded. If you fail to do that, you may realize that you keep earning lower scores than you actually expect to score.
Mahjong of Monkeypaw Games gives you a great way to test your strategic thinking skills. In fact, you have access to multiple versions of the game online. If you are a beginner, however, it is important to start with the traditional Mahjong game just so you can learn the ropes.
Each of the Mahjong free games has a twist, thus making it different from the last. For the same reason, each game’s rules differ. So, it is important to read through specific Mahjong rules before starting a game.
To become a master of the Mahjong game, you must master the art of concentration. Paired with a few pro tips, concentration will ensure you start making better decisions, winning your games faster, and scoring more points. Some of these tips include:
Mahjong games are normally timed and to win you have to remove all the Mahjong tiles from the game surface before you run out of time. The trick is to choose unblocked tiles that are not blocked by other tiles on either side. Since it’s a race against time, your speed essentially determines your score.
Chinese Mahjong is completely different from Japanese Mahjong. In fact, the two are totally different games, and the only thing they have in common is the medium (both are played using tiles).
Since Mahjong is an Asian game, most people automatically assume that it is exclusively a Chinese classic. Well, the truth is that both Japan and China have their own variants of the game.
Chinese Mahjong commonly goes by “Zhongguo Maqiang” or “Maqiang.” It was initially brought to China during the reign of the Ming Dynasty and has since become part of Chinese culture.
The Japanese Mahjong, on the other hand, is commonly referred to as “Rangō.” The game was invented by Sei Shōnagon, a Japanese monk. In most cases, this variant is termed “Shanghai Rangō.”
The rules for Japanese Mahjong also differ from those of the Chinese version. In Chinese Mahjong each player receives a few tiles numbered 1-9. When playing, the players must ensure that the tile they are holding has at least one digit that matches the number on the preceding tile.
They will keep placing subsequent tiles next to each other until they are all used up. The more the players play, the less the number of tiles on their hands. When the last player runs out of tiles, any remaining tiles should be removed from the board and stacked for a future game.
The game will continue until all the tiles have been eliminated from the board. The scores are awarded depending on the number of tiles players had in their hands after completing the final round.
In the Japanese Mahjong, all players are issued similarly numbered tiles, but unlike in the Chinese version, the tiles won’t have to match. In fact, the goal of the game is to eliminate all the tiles from the players’ hands. The player who manages to do that first wins the game.
When a player eliminates a tile from their hand, the other players guess its color, and whoever guesses right wins the tile. Once all the players have guessed, the person with tiles in their hands loses the game. To determine the winner, the players check the total points earned by each one of them. Whoever has the highest points wins the game.