I wanna play mahjong without having to spend money on a gacha.

[Ikagura Ikagura]

What are good Mahjong games in retro consoles (up to the PS360) please?

Also I got small conditions:

• I'd prefer a Riichi or Rummy Mahjong, no Solitaire/Shangai Mahjong (I already played it a ton in All-Time Classis on the DS)
• Strictly safe for work stuff, no strip Mahjong or anything of the kind please. I wanna enjoy it without the need to hide the screen lol.
• (Optional) having the possibility to have an alternative skin for tiles (like the Symbol and/or Wind ones) because I'm a simple westerner that cannot always remember how to read them.

PS: How hard is it to learn the rules? I got several of them but not entirely.

 

[sneakyguts]

i dont like mahjong and i dont understand it but you could play it as a mini game in Yakuza series yakuza 3/4/5 are on ps3

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I dont like mahjong and i dont understand it but you could play it as a mini game in Yakuza series yakuza 3/4/5 are on ps3

It's more complex that Poker but thankfully video games of it are helping a bit.

I need to buy Yakuza games on PC at some point, 0 has Mahjong too.

But let's say I'd prefer a Mahjong video game that isn't a minigame from another.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Mahjong Fight Club (PS2/PSP)
Yakuman DS (Japan-only)
Mahjong Taikai IV (PS2)
Shanghai: Triple Threat (PS1)
Mahjong World Contest (Xbox Live Arcade)

Most are Japan-only, so emulation might help. All are safe-for-work, no strip content.

Tile skin options vary Yakuman DS and Mahjong Taikai IV are more beginner-friendly in that regard.

As for rules:

Riichi: Medium-hard, but rewarding once you get the hang of it
Rummy-style: Easier, more intuitive if you’re used to Western card games

 

[Aziamuth]

It's not on retro consoles, but Mahjong Soul is available for free on lower end PCs and even on phone. It has gacha but it's purely cosmetical

 

[RageBurner]

What are good Mahjong games in retro consoles (up to the PS360) please?

Also I got small conditions:

• I'd prefer a Riichi or Rummy Mahjong, no Solitaire/Shangai Mahjong (I already played it a ton in All-Time Classis on the DS)

Of course, Solitaire Mahjong isn't real Riichi.

• Strictly safe for work stuff, no strip Mahjong or anything of the kind please. I wanna enjoy it without the need to hide the screen lol.
• (Optional) having the possibility to have an alternative skin for tiles (like the Symbol and/or Wind ones) because I'm a simple westerner that cannot always remember how to read them.

That's a little harder to come by. If you want to get into it, I would suggest you just get used to the tiles and develop mnemonics to remember them (it's what I did). Commonly, you'll find such amenities as tile skins in PC games or such. Your best bet for a digestible format is probably Yakuza on console, although it wouldn't match your console limitation criteria.

PS: How hard is it to learn the rules? I got several of them but not entirely.

The rules are somewhat opaque at times, but as with every interesting game, there is a learning curve.
If you'd like to discuss this more in depth, you can feel free to PM me, I'll help you find something that matches your needs, hopefully.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Mahjong Fight Club (PS2/PSP)
Yakuman DS (Japan-only)
Mahjong Taikai IV (PS2)
Shanghai: Triple Threat (PS1)
Mahjong World Contest (Xbox Live Arcade)

Most are Japan-only, so emulation might help. All are safe-for-work, no strip content.

Tile skin options vary Yakuman DS and Mahjong Taikai IV are more beginner-friendly in that regard.

As for rules:

Riichi: Medium-hard, but rewarding once you get the hang of it
Rummy-style: Easier, more intuitive if you’re used to Western card games

Thanks.

I just discovered that there were sets of tiles with helping for westerners.

It's not on retro consoles, but Mahjong Soul is available for free on lower end PCs and even on phone. It has gacha but it's purely cosmetical.

I'll think about it but I knew about the game thanks to the Akagi collab

Of course, Solitaire Mahjong isn't real Riichi.

I've been wondering if Solitaire/Shangai has been created because "westerners would've been confused by Mahjong so we made a dumbed down version for them". At least it helps making people recognise the tiles.

That's a little harder to come by. If you want to get into it, I would suggest you just get used to the tiles and develop mnemonics to remember them (it's what I did). Commonly, you'll find such amenities as tile skins in PC games or such.

Since PC games tells the tile type it may help remembering them

The rules are somewhat opaque at times, but as with every interesting game, there is a learning curve.
If you'd like to discuss this more in depth, you can feel free to PM me, I'll help you find something that matches your needs, hopefully.

Okay thanks. At least with some animes I kinda start understanding what each rules are about (like Ten Pai and the Doras).

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Thanks.

I just discovered that there were sets of tiles with helping for westerners.
View attachment 118908


I'll think about it but I knew about the game thanks to the Akagi collab
View attachment 118909


I've been wondering if Solitaire/Shangai has been created because "westerners would've been confused by Mahjong so we made a dumbed down version for them". At least it helps making people recognise the tiles.


Since PC games tells the tile type it may help remembering them
View attachment 118912

Okay thanks. At least with some animes I kinda start understanding what each rules are about (like Ten Pai and the Doras).

No problem @Ikagura!

 

[nobitakun]

Isn't possible to find a person to play with and buy the game itself? playing with somebody next to you is always more fun than playing against the CPU :)

 

[Tonberry]

Final Fantasy 14 has a Mahjong mode in it, which is playable in the free trial.
It's apparently an incredibly popular way for at least japanese players to play Mahjong since it's inside such a popular game, and it comes with the social aspect of a virtual world.
There's stories of salarymen having hundreds of hours in FFXIV in the free trial, but only because they play mahjong in it.

 

[Sumea]

Oh, you do not want gacha? Online mahjong in Japan is SO MUCH WORSE in other clients than Mahjong Soul. The NORM is to have a win streak, wait a day after a loss or pay up 100-200 yen microtransaction for a new game of mahjong. This was this way even on Nintendo official 3DS mahjong that had online play. Japan only, now shut down so not necessary to even remember it's full name.
But really, player on player wise, MahjongSoul is not retro but usable. It has waifus but nothing explicit. It has gacha but nothing you have to engage in unless you need a specific waifu or husbando.


Rest have named some. There is Mahjong and 4 player mahjong games for Famicrom too but language barrier, "you understand the game already" assumption and hard to play if you don't know.

 

[Clippy]

There's Hong Kong Mahjong for DOS. It has a fairly comprehensive tutorial too.

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

Strictly safe for work stuff, no strip Mahjong or anything of the kind please. I wanna enjoy it without the need to hide the screen lol.

Sorry can't help you
I plan to try and tackle the whole PC Engine library eventually, the console has a surprising amount of mahjong games so I will have to learn how to play at some point. Unfortunately for you most seem like adult/strip mahjong games.

i.e. Mahjong on The Beach

There's probably a few tame games in there though but haven't played any so don't know what to recommend.

 

[RageBurner]

It's also important to note that 1v1 Riichi doesn't properly encapsulate the whole strategic layer, since it is a 4 player game by design.

 

[Dyne]

Super Real Mahjong VS - Multilingual Fan Release

 

[Mitochondria]

Recently MahjongSoul announced the Gintama collab.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Unfortunately for you most seem like adult/strip mahjong games.

I'm wondering why this is common.

Perhaps that, since they cannot offer you money they have to motivate players with something else?

It's also important to note that 1v1 Riichi doesn't properly encapsulate the whole strategic layer, since it is a 4 player game by design.

I'm assuming that 1v1 would be for a tutorial (like a single lane game in a MOBA). Yeah, 4 players really spice things up.

Super Real Mahjong VS - Multilingual Fan Release

I like that 90's aesthetic and music, thanks for the recommendation.

My top picks would be either Akagi (DS) or Yakuman DS, since they keep the proper 4 player format.

I didn't know Akagi had a DS game, I'll also check out.

 

[RageBurner]

I'm assuming that 1v1 would be for a tutorial (like a single lane game in a MOBA). Yeah, 4 players really spice things up.

1v1 is a format mostly used by... well, somewhat questionable Riichi games, if you catch my meaning.

I didn't know Akagi had a DS game, I'll also check out.

Yeah. The tiles are super small, sadly, but IMO the layout is the best possible (table on one screen, hands on the other set horizontally in columns. It's straightforward and easy to read.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

1v1 is a format mostly used by... well, somewhat questionable Riichi games, if you catch my meaning.

The "pretty woman" kind I see.

Yeah. The tiles are super small, sadly, but IMO the layout is the best possible (there is no table, you just see the players' tiles (their hands) set horizontally in columns. It's straightforward and easy to read.

Ah, that would make things harder.

On the other hand it's a big shame that Mahjong isn't in 42 All-Time Classics/Clubhouse Game on the DS, only Solitaire Mahjong...

At least I know the tiles thanks to it.

 

[RageBurner]

On the other hand it's a big shame that Mahjong isn't in 42 All-Time Classics/Clubhouse Game on the DS, only Solitaire Mahjong...
View attachment 119156
At least I know the tiles thanks to it.

Yeah it took the Switch version of this thing to add Riichi properly.

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

Even if you don't want to play via Yakuza I can recommend their Mahjong tutorials cus that's how I learned.

While the game seems complex at first, at it's simplest it's a game about building hands like poker is.

At higher levels of play the strategy is deep, involving and completely off the chain. Having to remember/know when it's a good idea to pon/chi/kan and when to hold off and try to build a regular hand is when it gets kooky.