American mahjong is a style of mahjong where players win with a hand from a card of hands. Its sets include joker tiles. Before play begins, players pass tiles to each other in a ritual called the Charleston. A new card usually comes out each year.
What makes American mahjong different?
There are many regional styles of mahjong, including Chinese, Hong Kong, Japanese Riichi, and American mahjong. In the American style, you pick one hand from the card and collect the tiles it names.
How does Mahjong Island play it?
Mahjong Island is American-style mahjong on its own Island Card. It has the familiar tiles, the Charleston, Jokers, and Flowers. The card of hands is written by Mahjong Island.
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 month adds 3 Bonus Hands.
Each hand is written as groups of identical tiles, such as a Pair (2 tiles), a Set (3), or a Quad (4). A Joker can fill a Set or a Quad, but never a Pair. See how the Island Card works for every kind of group.
The tiles are the ones American mahjong players already know. Here are the Dots, one of the suits.
One tip for your first hand
Watch the Hand Cards under your Rack. They show the hands on the card you are closest to and how many tiles away each one is. For the full walk-through, read the beginner's guide to Mahjong Island.