Games & Puzzles
Mahjong
It needs four people, and the rules differ by region
Two practical barriers: it needs four people, and the rules vary by region, so agreeing on which variant is being played before sitting down avoids friction. Basic play comes fast; tracking discards and reading what others are collecting is the hard part. Japanese mahjong has mature online platforms, playable alone with fixed rules.
First stepChoose one ruleset, play a full game on a tutorial-led app, then join a table of four and agree the house rules before the first tile.
Barriers
Cost to start
Under $50
Going deep → $300–2k
Alone or with people
Anyone will do
Effort
Sitting
Without a teacher?
Self-taught
One session takes
1–2 hours
Where
At home
Why people take it up
Skills
BuildsOdds and expected value