Start playing in under a minute
- Open [play.mahjonghouse.app](https://play.mahjonghouse.app) on a computer, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
- Pick a name and an avatar. There's no sign-up: you play as a guest, and you can link a Google or Apple sign-in later to keep your profile on other devices.
- Choose Online Play for real players or Solo Practice against the club's computer players. Never played before? Start with Learn to Play.
The game is played in landscape. On a phone, the page offers the iPhone and Android apps first (they suit a small screen better), and you can still play in the browser.
Ways to play
| Mode | Who you play | What it's like |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Match | Real players online | Unranked, four hands, standard rules. If a table is short, club players fill the empty seats after a short wait, so a match always starts. |
| Ranked | Real players online | Every jade (point) you win or lose counts toward your season score. Finish five placement matches to join the season leaderboard. |
| [Play with Friends](/mahjong-with-friends) | People you invite | A private room with your own house rules. Friends join with a link, a code or a QR code, from the app or straight from a browser. |
| Solo Practice | Three of 12 club regulars | Computer opponents with their own styles, at Relaxed, Standard or Sharp. Choose the length and set your own house rules. |
| [Daily Puzzle](/daily) | Just you | One hand a day: what would you discard? Then see what Sifu, the game's coach, would throw. |
Proper Hong Kong rules
Mahjong House plays the Hong Kong rules you'd find at a Hong Kong table: all 144 tiles with flowers and seasons, chow, pong and kong, and a win needs four sets and a pair worth at least 3 faan (三番起糊).
- Minimum to win: 3 faan. Cap: 10 faan; limit hands such as Thirteen Orphans score the full 10.
- Discard wins: the player who threw the winning tile pays the whole amount (全銃).
- Pace online: 7 seconds to discard and 5 to claim. If you drop out, reopen the game and return to the table; your seat plays safe while you're away.
- Fair play: there are no live hints online, for anyone.
The rules guide and the faan table explain every rule and every hand.
Browser, phone, tablet or TV
| Where | How to get it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Web browser | play.mahjonghouse.app | Free, no ads and nothing to buy. Chrome or Edge 119, Firefox 120 or Safari 18.2 or newer. |
| iPhone and iPad | The App Store | iOS or iPadOS 17 or later. Sifu coaching, achievements in Game Center. |
| Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks | Google Play | Android 8.0 or later. Sifu coaching, achievements in Google Play Games. |
| Google TV and Android TV | Google Play on the TV | The whole game with the remote or a game controller, with tiles sized for the sofa. |
Solo practice, the lessons, stats and replays work offline in the apps. Online play needs a connection.
What's free (all of it)
Every mode, every opponent and every lesson is free, on every device. The browser version has no ads and nothing to buy. In the apps, solo play shows a short ad between rounds (never during a hand, and never online); Remove Ads is a one-time purchase, and Sifu, an optional subscription, coaches you during solo practice.
Scores are counted in jade (玉), points with no cash value. There is no real-money play, no betting and no prizes.
New to mahjong, or to the Hong Kong style?
- Never played: read How to play Hong Kong mahjong, then try the in-game Learn to Play lessons and a hand against Relaxed opponents.
- You play American mahjong (the NMJL card): Hong Kong vs American mahjong explains what changes: no card, no jokers, no Charleston, and you can chow.
- You know the game, not the words: the glossary has the Cantonese you'll hear at the table, with Jyutping.
Questions
Can I play mahjong online free without downloading anything?
Yes. Open play.mahjonghouse.app in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari and the game runs in the page: online matches against real players, all twelve computer opponents, the lessons, stats and replays. It's free, with no ads and nothing to buy.
Can I play against real people?
Yes. Quick Match and Ranked seat you with players from around the world, whether they're on a browser, an iPhone, an iPad or Android. If a table is short, club players fill the empty seats after a short wait, so a match always starts.
Is this Hong Kong mahjong or Chinese mahjong?
It's Hong Kong mahjong (港式麻雀), sometimes called Cantonese mahjong: the style most played in Hong Kong and in many Cantonese-speaking communities abroad, and one of the most common forms of Chinese mahjong. It isn't American (NMJL) mahjong or Japanese riichi; see Hong Kong vs American mahjong.
Can I play with my friends?
Yes. Open a private room with your own house rules and send the link or the 6-character code. Friends can join from the app or straight from a web browser. See Play mahjong with friends.
Is any real money involved?
No. Mahjong House is played for points (jade) that have no cash value and can't be bought, sold or withdrawn. There's no betting and there are no prizes.
Do I need an account?
No. You start as a guest. Link a Google or Apple sign-in if you want to keep the same online profile on another device.
How many players are at a table?
Four, as in every Hong Kong game. Online, any seat without a person is taken by one of the club's computer players.
