Riichi Mahjong
Japanese mahjong at a quiet table: draw, discard, call riichi and build your yaku against three AI players.
Three AI levels
From a relaxed opponent who never folds to one that reads suji and walls and knows when to push.
Standard online rules
Hanchan or East-only, red fives, open tanyao, ippatsu, ura dora, double ron and all the abortive draws.
Learn as you play
See your shanten, your waits and how many are left, a furiten warning and a suggested discard. A full yaku guide is one tap away.
Free, no sign-up
Runs in the browser on phone, tablet and desktop. Your game is saved automatically, so you can come back later.
Choose your opponents
All three AI players only see what you can see: no peeking at hands or the wall.
How to play Riichi Mahjong
- Four players start with 25,000 points. On your turn, draw a tile and discard one, keeping 13 tiles in hand.
- A winning hand is four sets (runs like 3-4-5 or triplets like 7-7-7) plus a pair. Seven pairs and Thirteen Orphans also win.
- Every win needs at least one yaku, a scoring pattern. Riichi (a closed ready hand) and Tanyao (only 2–8 tiles) are the easiest.
- Win on your own draw (Tsumo) or on another player’s discard (Ron). You cannot Ron on a tile you discarded yourself: that is furiten.
- Han and fu decide the points. Dora tiles add han. After South 4 (or East 4) the player with the most points wins.
Most common yaku
Han for a closed hand / an open hand. “—” means the hand must be closed.
| RiichiDeclare with a closed ready hand and put up 1,000 points. | 1 / — |
| Menzen tsumoWin on your own draw with a closed hand. | 1 / — |
| PinfuFour runs, a non-value pair and a two-sided wait, closed. | 1 / — |
| TanyaoOnly tiles 2 to 8, no terminals or honors. | 1 / 1 |
| YakuhaiA triplet of dragons, your seat wind or the round wind. | 1 / 1 |
| IipeikouTwo identical runs in the same suit, closed. | 1 / — |
| ChiitoitsuSeven different pairs. | 2 / — |
| Sanshoku doujunThe same run in all three suits. | 2 / 1 |
| Ittsu1-2-3, 4-5-6 and 7-8-9 in one suit. | 2 / 1 |
| ToitoiFour triplets (or kans) and a pair. | 2 / 2 |
| HonitsuOne suit plus honors. | 3 / 2 |
| ChinitsuOnly one suit. | 6 / 5 |
Tips for beginners
- Discard lonely honor tiles and terminals first. Tiles in the middle (3–7) connect into runs more easily.
- Keep your hand closed and call riichi when you are ready. It is the simplest yaku and adds ura dora.
- Only call pon or chi when your hand will still have a yaku, such as a dragon triplet or all simples.
- When someone declares riichi and your hand is slow, fold: discard tiles they already discarded (genbutsu).
Frequently asked questions
Is this Riichi Mahjong game free?
Yes. You can play every mode for free in your browser, with no sign-up and no download.
Which rules does it use?
The standard online ruleset most players know from Mahjong Soul and Tenhou: 25,000 start, red fives, open tanyao, ippatsu, ura and kan dora, double ron, uma 5-15 and kazoe yakuman. You can change the game length, red fives, open tanyao, double ron, kiriage mangan and uma.
What is the difference from Chinese or Taiwanese mahjong?
Riichi mahjong needs a yaku to win, has riichi, dora and furiten, uses 13-tile hands and no flower tiles, and scores with han and fu.
Do the AI opponents cheat?
No. They decide using only their own hand, the discards, the open melds and the dora indicators — the same information you have.
Can I play against friends online?
Online tables are coming soon. For now you play against three AI opponents.
Does my game get saved?
Yes. The game in progress and your stats are saved in this browser, so you can close the page and continue later.