Winter Mahjong

Winter Mahjong is a great new way to enjoy the classic game with a new, seasonal twist on the typical designs. Mahjong is one of the most popular single player games in the world and with good reason, but at the same time it can be a little daunting to get to grips with at first. The reality, though, is that the game is a lot easier to learn than you might expect. Today, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about the game, from the special bonus tiles found in the winter Mahjong version to tips and strategies for beating the game.

Winter Bonus Tiles

Firstly, let’s look at eight bonus tiles that are found in any Mahjong set and how they are different in the winter Mahjong game. Typically, a Mahjong set contains 144 tiles, eight of which are the bonus tiles. There are two sets of these bonus tiles: the flower tiles and the season tiles. For winter Mahjong, those classic designs are changed in a fun and festive way. The flower tiles are instead composed of four colored snowflakes. The season tiles are then each decorated with some special aspect of winter, such as a snowman and an igloo. Their function in the game, however, remains the same, so let’s look at how to play winter Mahjong.

How to play Mahjong

Mahjong is a game which is easy to pick up but takes time to master, and winter Mahjong is no different. You’ll be able to get the hang of the basics quickly, but it will likely take some practice before you’re able to consistently win. Let’s look at the basics of winter Mahjong.

Click and match tiles

The majority of the gameplay in winter Mahjong will consist of clicking and matching tiles. Winter Mahjong is a tile matching game, in which you must match tile pairs as they become available. You do this simply by clicking both matching tiles one after the other.

Unlocking tile pairs

Part of the challenge in winter Mahjong is the fact that not all the tiles on the board are available to play right away. They must be unlocked over the course of the game. For instance, a tile is not available for play if it is blocked on both sides by other tiles, or if there is another tile directly on top of it.

Choosing tile pairs

So, then, with the above in mind, it is not as simple as just selecting any pair you see and matching them right away. You must be strategic in how you choose tile pairs in order to give yourself the best chance of being able to unlock all the pairs.

Bonus tiles

The other thing to be aware of in winter Mahjong is that you have, as mentioned, eight bonus tiles in the set which work a bit differently from the other pairs. The flower, or snowflake, tiles, can be matched with any other snowflake—and the season tiles, the snowman, candles, igloo and snow globe can be matched amongst each other.

Mahjong tips

Winter Mahjong is a game of much more than just luck, though there is of course an element of luck involved. Let’s look at the most important tips for winning:

1. Memorization

The first and most important tip to bear in mind is the overwhelming importance of memory in winter Mahjong. Memory is a skill like anything else that can be honed and improved over time, and Mahjong is one really great way to do this. The more you focus on memorizing the state of the board, the easier it will be to remember where matching pairs are as new tiles become available.

2. Making the right matches

But any match that you can see available in winter Mahjong isn’t necessarily the right one. Before making any match, think about what advantage that pair will grant you for the next few moves. You should, ideally, only match pairs if that match gives you access to a new matching pair in the next few moves.

3. Think ahead

Finally, the most important general tip is to always think multiple steps ahead. Any move you make should be carefully considered in terms of where it gets you in the game in the next couple of moves.

Mahjong Strategies

Let’s break down some more advanced strategies:

1. High stacks, long rows

You should always focus on making as many moves as possible available to you at any point in winter Mahjong. In a layout where there are lots of long rows and high stacks, you should target these first to free up the tiles trapped in them.

2. Play lots of games

Like anything, though, improvement at winter Mahjong will only come with time. The best tip and strategy for getting better at winter Mahjong is to play lots of games regularly to hone your skills. Few things are as effective at improving your game. Winter Mahjong makes for a fun take on this time-tested game, so if you’re just looking for a way to play or you’re interested in a new design twist on Mahjong, then winter Mahjong is a great option for you. It comes with all the features you could want out of the game while bringing something unique, new, and interesting to it.