My lifelong fascination with games has led me to a point where I have begun to explore the depths of traditional games. One such game from my childhood was Mahjong, a simple matching puzzle, a misconception reinforced by the popular solitaire variant. However, my casual acquaintance with the game belies its rich history.

Contrary to popular belief, Mahjong Solitaire is a relatively recent invention, tracing its origins back to the early days of computing. In 1981, using the PLATO system (a fascinating story unto itself), Brodie Lockard introduced the game to the world, originally titled "Mah-Jongg" due to its use of the same tile set.

Inspired by a traditional Chinese game called "The Turtle," Lockard's creation quickly gained popularity, spreading through universities and eventually into the mainstream. The subsequent commercial release of "Shanghai" by Activision in 1986 solidified the game's popularity, introducing it to a broader audience. As the game's fame grew, countless clones and variations emerged, contributing to its enduring legacy.

It was this enduring legacy that led to its inclusion in my copy of “Hoyle Board Games 5” for PC. This version of Mahjong was played regularly throughout my childhood by my mother. I carried this conception of the game for the next several decades, until I reached a point where my other interests crossed over with these childhood experiences.

On a whim in the Spring of 2024, I decided that I wanted to delve into what I’d believed to be the obtrusive world of Mahjong. Very quickly, I learned that I was firmly mistaken. I have come to play one particular variant of the game known as Riichi Mahjong. A modern variant of the classic Chinese tile game, Riichi Mahjong, emerged in Japan around the early 1920s. It evolved from traditional Mahjong, incorporating new rules and scoring systems that emphasized strategic gameplay and calculated risks. The game rapidly gained popularity throughout Japan during the 1930s and 1940s, solidifying its position as a national pastime. By the mid-20th century, Riichi Mahjong had begun to spread to other parts of Asia and, eventually, to the Western world, captivating players with its intricate rules and rewarding gameplay.

The popularity of the Yakuza game series facilitated Riichii Mahjong’s expansion into the Western World. Upon first glance, one might anticipate the series to be nothing more than a gritty look into the Japanese underworld of organized crime. However, fans of the series know the true heart of the series is the abundance of “mini-games” and “side activities.” These same mini-games have also since spawned an appreciation for classic “Casino” Games such as Baccarat and variations of Poker, both topics I will cover in further articles. The Yakuza games offer players a deep dive into the game's rules and strategies while incorporating them seamlessly into the series' engaging narratives and over-the-top world.

Riichi Mahjong is a complex game, but its core mechanics can be grasped with a basic understanding. Four players sit around a table, each with a hand of 13 tiles. These tiles are divided into suits: Dots (Pin), Bamboo (Sou), Characters (Man), Honors (Winds and Dragons), and Bonus Tiles (Flowers and Seasons). The objective is to form a winning hand, known as a "Han," by combining tiles into specific patterns.

A winning hand typically consists of four sets and a pair. A set can be a "pon" (three identical tiles), a "chii" (sequence of three consecutive tiles in the same suit), or a "kan" (four identical tiles). The pair is simply two identical tiles.

There are also additional hand patterns that are fundamental to the game, known as "yaku.” To have a winning hand that earns you more than 1000 points, you’re going to want a Yaku. Yaku come in MANY shapes and forms, and they provide varying amounts of bonus points. An "ankou" (three concealed sets) or "yakuhai" (three of the same honor tile) is an example of the most straightforward yaku. The sheer number of possibilities has led to the publishing of entire lists of possible yaku combinations. It is possible to have a “winning hand” but be unable to call “Ron” because you don’t have a guaranteed yaku.

Throughout a game, players have the option to “call out” certain phrases to complete tile groups. The groups of tiles, Pons, Kans, and Chis, are also the names of potential calls one can make.

One of the most distinctive features of Riichi Mahjong is the "riichi" declaration. When a player has all of their tiles concealed and only needs a single tile to complete their hand, they are considered to be in “Tenpai”, meaning they only need a single tile to complete a winning hand. A player who is in tenpai may call aloud “riichi.” After declaring riichi, the player must place a 1000 point stick into the middle of the table as a “bet” that they will receive their last necessary tile, either by an opponents discard, or by drawing the required tile on their turn. The risk, however, is that a player who has declared riichi is not allowed to exchange any tiles from their hand; they may only draw and discard until either they draw the tile they need or another player wins. If another player wins, the 1000-point stick is given to the winner, in addition to any other points owed to them. Riichi can be a very tempting thing to call, but holding out for a stronger hand can earn you a more solid chance for victory!

To win a hand, one can either declare Ron, as discussed above, or draw a winning tile from the wall. If a player wins by drawing a tile, it's called a "tsumo". The winner collects points from the other players based on the value of their hand. The game continues until a player reaches a predetermined point goal (Most often when a player is reduced to 0 points) or until a certain number of rounds have been played.

Often, the most frustrating occurrence in the course of a Riichi Match is the dreaded “Furiten.” As a round progresses, players will draw tiles and choose whether to keep the drawn tile or discard the drawn tile. If the player chooses to keep the newly drawn tile, they MUST discard another tile currently in their hand. This means that the player will always discard A tile each turn, thus changing the composition of the player's hand each turn. The goal is to still fulfill Yaku requirements and make a winning hand, but the player may, unfortunately, put themselves into a position where they would have a winning hand if they had not discarded the winning tile in an earlier hand. For instance, a player may need a 7 Man Tile (Characters) to win, but they had discarded said tile on their second turn. Because the 7 Man tile would be the winning tile, and because they had already discarded it, they are in “Furiten.” You cannot win even if you draw a duplicate of said tile. A player may free themselves from Furiten, but it will require the player to strategically change their hand composition so that they no longer require the tile they have previously discarded. It can sometimes be confusing, and it is very easy to accidentally put yourself in that position. Don’t worry, Furiten even happens to professionals.

The last, most important part to understand about Riichi mahjong is the ever-present “Wind” system. There are four wind tiles: East, South, West, and North. Each player is assigned a "seat wind" based on their position at the table. Each round has a “Dealer” who is designated as the East Wind, with the South to their right, the West across from the East, and finally the North to the Left. You may notice that this does not follow the traditional “Cardinal Directions” that you may see on a Compass.

These winds determine the value of certain hand combinations. Having a set (three identical tiles) of your seat wind or the prevailing wind is a powerful tool for building high-scoring hands. Furthermore, certain hand patterns involving winds can lead to significant point bonuses, making wind tiles highly desirable in the game.

Games are generally played in either “East” or “South” matches. In a standard “East” match, each player has a round as the dealer, and therefore each player has a turn as the “East” seat. In a “South” match, this all occurs twofold. In short, ideally, there are four “hands/ rounds” in an East match and eight in a South Match. I say ideally because there is one additional wrinkle: Repeats.

If the “dealer” wins a particular hand, the game does not progress to the next consecutive hand; for example, “East 1 doesn’t become East 2, instead remaining East 1.” As a consolation, additional points (Honba) are added to the “pot,” which are given to the winner of the repeated hand. If the dealer wins once again, they collect all of the points they normally would; however, they do not collect the “Honba,” instead adding a stick to the pile.

There is one final way that can lead to a repeat, an Exhaustive Draw. There are 136 tiles in a standard Riichi Mahjong game. Most of the tiles in use during the game are taken or “drawn” from a group called the “Wall.” These tiles are first used to give each player a starting hand, with one tile being drawn from it each turn. An additional 14 tiles are separated at the start of the game. These tiles comprise “The Dead Wall.” The Dead Wall is not drawn during the game, meaning that some tiles will not be available to complete hands. If no players complete a winning hand before all tiles have been drawn from the “Wall,” then the round stops. At this point, any players who are in “Tenpai” will receive 1,000 points from any players who are not in “Tenpai.” If a player has declared “Riichi,” they will regain the 1,000 points they paid to declare Riichi.

Admittedly, this is a simplified (believe it or not) explanation of Riichi Mahjong. This is primarily what one needs to play the game through some of the most popular services. For a physical game, there are many additional steps for the setup (i.e, Breaking the Wall, Dora Indicators, and the point values of sticks). The game has many more intricacies, including the different types of yaku, scoring systems, and advanced strategies.

Additionally, this does not cover the other two most common variants of the game, Hong Kong Style and American Mahjong. Riichi Mahjong is widely accessible in many formats digitally, whether you’re into a more serious focused client like Tenhou, a bit of a weeb with a client like Mahjong Soul or Riichi City, if you have a copy of nearly any game in the Yakuza Franchise, or you’re already a player of Final Fantasy XIV, in which you can sit down for a game of Doman (Riichi) Mahjong at the Gold Saucer. Wherever you play, the most important thing is that you have a good time, and hopefully you don’t get “Ron-ed On!”

For more content about Riichi Mahjong, as well as places to play online, you can check out these links!:

Yu_Song - Daily Gameplay of Riichi Mahjong (With some Musical Improv thrown in!)

Mahjong Soul - Free Browser-Based Mahjong Client (App Version Available as well!)