Mahjong

The computer gaming world has been in a state of Mahjong madness for quite some time now, allowing the infamous Chinese puzzle game to become part of the traditional gamer's vocabulary. The age-old tile-matching game has reached the point where it has seen dozens and dozens of incarnations, which seems like some sort of gaming milestone.

The rules are simple, but the game is anything but. You're given an arrangement of tiles, each with some sort of symbol or character on the front. You must match these tiles according to whatever decoration they display. Matching two tiles will cause them to disappear. The tiles are oftentimes stacked, and you may select any piece that is not buried (but that should be obvious, as you can't see a piece that's buried now, can you?) and isn't completely surround by adjacent by pieces.

It is very possible to reach a point in Mahjong where you have no more moves. If you reach this point, you lose the round and must start over. The game requires was some pretty intense calculation, so don't make the mistake of taking it lightly.

Let's Play!

When you first start up Mahjong World, you'll be greeted with the soothing, beautiful music and the gorgeous flowing waterfalls that make up the background. Butterflies will flutter across the screen and perch on the menus. This whole presentation does well to set the perfect mood for playing. Mahjong is a calm, relaxed game, and is the perfect escape if you're feeling stressed out.

Mahjong World doesn't offer any fancy variations on gameplay. You only get one mode and that's just the basic, traditional mode of play. While some may see this as disappointing, I see it as refreshing. Instead of cheapening classic gameplay with poorly conceived, thrown together game modes, it simply lets Mahjong speak for itself. What you're left with is a true, solid experience that you'd be hard-pressed to out-do.

The focus of the gameplay here is on online competition. It's not multiplayer in anyway - you won't actually be battling it out with anyone - but the top scores and times are displayed for each puzzle, giving you something to aspire to. It's one thing to try and beat your own high scores; it's something completely different to beat everyone else's. It's quite a feat to become the greatest Mahjong player, but once you're there, it's more than worth it.

You're presented with quite a nice array of puzzles to choose from, all displaying quite a bit in terms of creativity. The amount of puzzles, coupled with the task of beating the high scores, should give you hours of gameplay.

Mahjong, Plain and Simple

If you want to play Mahjong, there are several options out there for you; some good, some not so good. I'm happy to report that this products falls somewhere on the good side. It's not a mind-blowing experience, but it's good, and above all, it's satisfying. I feel completely confident recommending this game to someone looking for a fun way to relax.