Mahjong tiles come in three suits numbered 1 to 9, plus four Winds and three Dragons. There are 4 copies of each tile, so Mahjong Island plays with 136 tiles.
The three suits are Bam, Crak, and Dot. In most mahjong sets, the Winds and Dragons are called honor tiles.
You use these tiles to build a Winning Hand. You need 4 Groups and 1 Pair: 14 tiles in all.
On your turn, you draw a tile from the Draw Pile. Then you discard 1 tile, unless your hand is complete and you Win.
The three suits
Each suit runs from 1 to 9. Suit tiles can make Runs and Sets. A Run is 3 numbered tiles in a row in one suit, like 3-4-5 Bam. A Set is 3 identical tiles, like three 4 Crak.
A Run must stay in one suit. So 3 Bam, 4 Crak, and 5 Dot is not a Run. But 3 Bam, 4 Bam, and 5 Bam is.
When you win, each numbered tile adds its number in Chips. A 9 Dot adds 9 Chips. A 2 Bam adds 2. So high numbers add more Chips than low ones.
Bam
Bam is traditionally called bamboo. Look out for the 1 Bam: it shows a peacock.
Video lessonMeet the BambooBamboo is a suit of tiles numbered 1 to 9.
Crak
Crak is traditionally called characters. It runs from 1 to 9, just like the other suits.
Video lessonMeet the CharactersCharacters are a suit of tiles numbered 1 to 9.
Dot
Dot is traditionally called dots or circles. Like Bam and Crak, it runs from 1 to 9.
Video lessonMeet the DotsDots are a suit of tiles numbered 1 to 9.
The four Winds
There are four Winds: East, South, West, and North. They have no numbers, so they can never make a Run.
Winds make Sets and Pairs. Three East tiles is a Set. Two North tiles is a Pair. But East, South, and West in a row is never a Run.
Each Wind is worth 10 Chips when you win. That is more than any numbered tile.
Video lessonMeet the WindsThere are four Winds: East, South, West, and North. They have no numbers.
The three Dragons
There are three Dragons: Red, Green, and White. Like the Winds, Dragons make Sets and Pairs, never Runs.
The White Dragon is called Soap. In American mahjong, the white dragon is often nicknamed soap. It is a Dragon like Red and Green, with 4 copies in the set.
Each Dragon is also worth 10 Chips when you win. Want a closer look? Watch Meet the Dragons or Winds and Dragons are honors.
Jokers
Every Mahjong Island game also deals 4 Jokers. A Joker is wild: it stands in for any tile in a Run, a Set, or the Pair.
Every Group still needs at least 1 real tile. You can use at most 2 Jokers in a Run or Set, and 1 in the Pair.
You can never discard or take a Joker. See Four of every tile, plus Jokers.
Why tile families matter for your score
Some scoring Hands depend on which tile families you hold. They change your Mult, which starts at 2.
Only one of these suit Hands counts at a time. Your score is Chips × Mult, and only the winner scores.
How to sort your Rack
You are dealt 13 tiles at the start. A sorted Rack shows you what you can build at a glance.
For more, watch Sort your tiles. Then try it in a real hand, free and with no sign-up.