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Christmas Mahjong
Christmas Mahjong is a fun, seasonal twist on the classic game which brings something new to it while retaining the rules that have made the game so popular. Christmas Mahjong is a stylistic version of the game which comes with specific tiles and background art, all of which helps update the game for the festive season. Today, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about Christmas Mahjong, from the basic rules to the advanced tips and strategy. Whether you’re a new or seasoned player, there will doubtless be plenty to learn from our guide for Christmas Mahjong. You can play free Christmas Mahjong just about anywhere through your phone or desktop computer.
Christmas Bonus Tiles
One of the big differences you’ll notice about Christmas Mahjong is the designs of the bonus tiles. These are, ordinarily, the flower and seasons tiles, and there are four of each for a total of eight. In Mahjong Christmas tiles, you have festive plants such as Mistletoe and holly, and in place of seasons you have things like Christmas trees and candy canes. Xmas Mahjong shakes up the traditional designs.
How to play Mahjong
Now, let’s turn our attention to how to play Christmas Mahjong. There are some basics to understand before you can get started playing the game. Ultimately, finding it is the easy part, as you can easyil play Christmas Mahjong online free.
Unlocking tile pairs
Not all tiles can be accessed right away from the start of the game, though. You have to unlock tile pairs by removing the exterior tiles that are above or to the side of them. If a tile is blocked on both the left and the right, or if there is a tile above it, then you cannot access it until those blocking tiles are removed.
Choosing tile pairs
With that in mind, then, in Christmas Mahjong, you must choose tile pairs carefully in order to win the game and have a chance of getting rid of all the tiles. Christmas Mahjong games are about more than just finding matching tiles: you must also be able to identify which pairs are the most advantageous to choose. For instance, you should always try to choose tile pairs in Christmas Mahjong which reveal new tiles for you to use, or indeed a new pair to match. This is best practice for making sure you don’t get stuck—as it is entirely possible to lose a game of Mahjong.
Bonus tiles
As we touched on earlier, Christmas Mahjong has a different set of bonus tiles to those found in the typical design of the game. With that said, this does not affect how the tiles are played or how they work in the game. As mentioned, there are two sets of four bonus tiles. Typically, these are the flower tiles and the season tiles. In Christmas Mahjong, they can still be understood to fall into these categories—it’s just that the designs are different. Within the two bonus sets, any one of the tiles can be matched with any other. For instance, you could match the holly wreath with the mistletoe—or the candy cane with the Christmas present. They are sets of four which can be matched with any other tile in the series.
Mahjong tips
When playing Christmas Mahjong free, there are a number of important tips to keep in mind:
1. Focus on memory
There is nothing more important to Christmas Mahjong than your memory skills. Fundamentally, Mahjong is a game of matching pairs, and thus you need to be able to memorize the state of the board to some extent. As you play more and more games, this will become easier and easier—playing the game has been shown to improve memory skills.
The better your memory, the better stock you’ll be able to keep of where a matching tile was that you couldn’t use at first, but which you’ve now revealed the pair of. This will make the game a lot easier.
2. Always unlock new pairs
One common temptation with free online Christmas Mahjong games is to simply make any pair you see as soon as you see it. This is a very big beginner mistake that will very often get you stuck. Mahjong is, in part, a game of luck, but it is also a game of strategy. Whenever you remove a tile, you should try to ensure that doing so reveals a new pair in that move or in the next one or two.
This takes us on to our next tip: thinking ahead.
3. Plan and think ahead
You never want to just make a move, then, because it becomes available or is available from the start. You always want to be thinking ahead about your plans and which tiles you will be able to match in the next one, two, or three moves. Have an overall strategy for how you will tackle the board, and what you’ll do. Don’t just think about the next move, but the next two or three moves.
Mahjong strategies
Now let’s look at broader strategies for Christmas Mahjong.
1. Focus on high stacks/long rows
When you play Christmas Mahjong, you’ll notice that a great many of the tiles are locked under high stacks of other tiles as well as in long rows. At least early on in the game, you want to be sure to focus on these high stacks and long rows. The best overall strategy is to try to whittle down these rows and stacks as this will give you a greater number of possible moves, which is always advantageous.
2. Delaying moves
We have touched on this, but in general you always want to delay moves in Christmas Mahjong no matter how sure you are of their advantage. It’s hard to have a complete sense of the status of the board, so delaying moves and reviewing the state of play before you make a move ensures that there is not a more advantageous move to be made. Of course, it’s not helpful to agonize for minutes and minutes on every move, but the point is simply that you should be as sure as you reasonably can that the move you’re making is the most advantageous one in the moment.
3. Keep playing and honing memory
Finally, reading strategy and tips will ultimately only take you so far. The best way you can improve your chances of winning Christmas Mahjong is to keep playing game after game with a mind to improving your memory skills. The more you play, the better you’ll get at remembering where certain tiles are, and thus your ability to play the game will improve. Play regularly and frequently—playing Christmas Mahjong online makes this easier than ever.
Christmas Mahjong, then, is a great twist on the classic game that makes it even more fun to play than it already is. If you’re in a festive mood, then Christmas Mahjong updates the game for the season and makes it just as fun in the seasonal setting. If you take on board our tips and tricks, you’ll find your winning games of Christmas Mahjong in no time.