Mahjong

strategy game · tiles · China · four players

144 Tiles Total. A complete mahjong set has 144 tiles decorated with Chinese characters and symbols. Players draw from these tiles to build their winning hands during each round.

Make Four Melds. The main goal is to collect tiles that form four melds, which are groups of matching or connected tiles, plus one final pair. This combination creates a winning hand.

Four Wind Positions. Each player sits in a position named after a direction: East, South, West, or North. The East player goes first, and the game moves clockwise around the table.

Draw and Discard. On your turn, you draw one new tile, then get rid of one tile from your hand. Other players can sometimes use your discarded tiles if it helps them complete their patterns.

Keep Your Score. Instead of starting fresh each round, players hold onto the points they earn across multiple rounds until the game officially ends, just like keeping score in a long tournament.