American mahjong vs Chinese mahjong is a question of style. Both are regional styles of one tile game that comes from China.
Where do both styles come from?
Both styles share one root. Mahjong is a tile game that took shape in China in the 1800s. Today there are many regional styles, including Chinese, Hong Kong, Japanese Riichi, and American mahjong.
What is American mahjong known for?
American mahjong is known for these features:
Where does Mahjong Island fit?
Mahjong Island is American-style mahjong on its own Island Card. It keeps the familiar tiles, the Charleston, and Jokers. The card of hands is written by Mahjong Island, with 3 new Bonus Hands each month.
You win by completing one hand on the Island Card: 14 tiles that match one line on the card. The Island Card 2027 has 45 hands in 9 sections.
Each hand is written as groups of identical tiles. A Single is 1 tile, a Pair is 2, a Set is 3 (called a pung in traditional mahjong), and a Quad is 4. Some lines also ask for numbers in a row, like 1-2-3-4-5, as Singles.
For a plain introduction, read How to Play Mahjong Island. You can also learn every tile name in Mahjong Island Tiles Explained.