How to play › Beginner questions
Beginner questions
Short answers to the things new players ask most. Each one links to a fuller guide where there is more to say.
Is mahjong hard to learn?
The basics are simple: draw one tile, throw one away, and try to finish 4 sets and 1 pair. Most people can follow a hand within a few minutes. What takes longer is getting quick at spotting which tiles to keep, and that comes from playing. Start with how to play.
How many tiles are in a mahjong set?
144. There are 34 different tiles with four copies of each, which makes 136: three suits numbered 1 to 9, four winds and three dragons. The other 8 are bonus tiles, four flowers and four seasons, with one of each. See every tile.
How many tiles do I hold?
13. On your turn you draw a 14th and then throw one away, so you are back to 13. A winning hand is the moment all 14 fit together as 4 sets and 1 pair.
How many players does mahjong need?
Four. In Mala Mahjong you are one of them, and the other three seats are taken by panda characters that you choose, from beginner to expert.
Is this the same as the mahjong matching game?
No. The matching puzzle, often called mahjong solitaire, is a one-player game that borrows the tiles: you clear a stack by pairing them up. Mahjong itself is a four-player game of drawing and discarding to build a hand. Mala Mahjong is the four-player game.
What is the difference between a Pung and a Chow?
A Pung is three of the same tile. A Chow is three in a row from one suit, like 3-4-5 dots. You can grab a discard from anyone for a Pung, but only from the player on your left for a Chow. More about Pung, Chow and Kong.
Do I need to read Chinese to play?
No. Dots and bamboo tiles are read by counting. That leaves the nine number characters, four winds and three dragons, which most players recognise after a game or two. In Mala Mahjong the game names tiles as they are played, such as “5 bamboo”, and Help tells you what to do with them.
What happens if nobody wins a hand?
If the wall runs out before anyone calls Mahjong!, the hand ends with no winner and nobody scores. The same dealer deals again.
How do you win a whole game?
By having the most points at the end. In Mala Mahjong a game is four deals, one for each player as dealer, and only the winner of each hand scores. See how scoring works.
What are Easy, Medium and Hard in Mala Mahjong?
They set how much help you get. Easy gives unlimited help and tells you whenever you can Pung, Chow, Kong or win. Medium gives three helps a game and stops pointing out your chances, so you spot them yourself. Hard has no help, you sort your own tiles, and a clock gives you 10 seconds to call a throw and 20 seconds on your turn. Medium and Hard open as you walk the panda’s road.
Can I play Mala Mahjong offline?
Yes. There is no account and nothing is stored online. Your games, stats and settings are saved on your phone.
Which phones does Mala Mahjong work on?
Mala Mahjong is made for iPhone, and it is coming soon to the App Store. Join the waitlist to hear the day it’s out.
Learn it by playing
Mala Mahjong is a cozy iPhone game, coming soon, that teaches all of this as you go. A panda walks you through real moments from a game, and you can ask for help on any turn.
Join the waitlist