American mahjong
Choose an American mahjong app for your kind of game
Six American mahjong apps compared on browser play, solo practice, friend games, devices and what stays free, from dated publisher sources.
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Start with the session you want
A few minutes between lessons, a full practice hand and Thursday night with your regular group ask different things of an app. Choose the job first, then check everyone’s device and the card you plan to use. These products concern American mahjong; tile-matching solitaire is a different game.
For browser entry, look at Mahjong 4 Friends and Real Mah Jongg. For practice between lessons, compare Eight Bam’s practice tools with the lesson and computer-player options below. For a regular group, check the host’s requirements and what happens when a friend opens an invitation without the app. These are starting points, not rankings.
Who wrote this, and what we checked
JONGG, made by Record Creative Co., publishes this guide and makes its own American mahjong game and game-night tools. We have a commercial interest in this category. The six alternatives below are a useful shortlist, not a complete market survey.
Publisher descriptions and the named US App Store listing were checked October 24, 2026. On November 12, we revisited Mahjong 4 Friends and Real Mah Jongg in a desktop browser on macOS; those observations are dated below. The other four entries retain their October checks. Feature descriptions are publisher claims unless explicitly marked Observed.
We did not install these apps, create accounts, start trials, send invitations or complete games. We have not compared opponent strength, learning outcomes, reliability, accessibility or phone usability across products. No ratings or price rankings follow from these checks. Confirm current device support and offers with the publisher.
Mahjong 4 Friends: a browser starting point
The publisher offers browser and mobile play, computer opponents, private rooms and invitation links or QR codes. It describes unlimited free games and an optional ad-free upgrade. Several mahjong variants share the entry screen, so select American mahjong and the intended card.
Observed November 12: without signing in, Singleplayer offered American mahjong with the 2026 National Mah Jongg League card selected. Configuration showed separate Suggested Hands and Hints switches. We turned Suggested Hands off while Hints stayed on, then dealt a hand with three computer players. The table opened at the first Charleston pass. We did not complete it or test a private room.
Check with your group: can everyone read the tiles and use the controls on their own screen? Agree on the card and room settings before sharing a room. Account-free setup alone does not prove a complete group session will suit you.
Real Mah Jongg: browser play with a trial entry
The homepage advertises games against computers, friends or other members on desktop and mobile devices, and asks players to bring their own card.
Observed November 12: the homepage advertised the 2026 card and asked players to bring their own card. Free Trial opened a sign-up form asking for email, username and password, with a trial followed by monthly payment. We entered nothing and did not start the trial. We could not inspect in-game assistance controls; gameplay and invitations remain untested.
Check before inviting everyone: what is included in each person’s trial, what happens when it ends, and how will your friends find the intended table? Read the current offer and renewal terms on the sign-up screen.
Eight Bam: practice between game nights
Eight Bam’s American Mahjong Practice page describes matching-hand help, optional computer opponents and a daily challenge using the same deal for every player. The publisher lists iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, and Windows through Google Play Games.
Its download is described as free, with current-year hands unlocked through a purchase or subscription. Check the relevant installation page and store offer. The browser-based Lookup product is separate from the Practice app; a link to Lookup does not establish browser gameplay in Practice.
Consider it when your immediate goal is independent practice. A common daily deal is different from a live private table with friends. We reviewed the publisher’s page; we did not install or play the app.
Mahj Parlour: lessons and games on iPhone or iPad
Mahj Parlour advertises free lessons and daily mini-games, with full computer-player and online games included in a subscription. Its page describes private tables and matchmaking, and says an official NMJL card is required for play.
Observed: the homepage’s learning and download links pointed to the App Store; browser play was presented as coming soon with an email waitlist. We did not submit an email or install the app. Private-table invitations and the subscription flow remain publisher descriptions, not our hands-on results.
Check whether everyone has a supported Apple device. If your immediate requirement is browser gameplay, a waitlist is not an available browser table. Check the publisher again when planning your session.
Bam Good Time Mahjong Online: distinguish the game from the organizer app
The game’s publisher describes free iPhone/iPad play without ads or in-app purchases, account-free practice against the computer, and signed-in private, open and club tables. Its instructions say a new account also verifies a mobile number. These are published terms and capabilities; we did not install or sign in.
The game-specific instructions explicitly exclude browser, Android and Windows gameplay. They describe an invitation opening the installed game, or a web page with a table code and App Store link when the game is absent. We did not send or open a real table invitation.
Check the game’s device requirements, rather than assuming the separate Bam Good Time club-management app has the same coverage. The publisher also advises keeping your own current card beside you.
The Mahjong App: check who hosts and who joins
The US App Store listing for The Mahjong App by Windy City Games describes tutorials, current-card computer practice and multiplayer on iPhone and iPad. The listing names free play, an optional ad-free subscription and Premium with multiplayer hosting.
A developer response on that listing says only the host needs Premium for a multiplayer room. Confirm the current host and guest requirements before organizing a session. We did not test purchase, hosting or guest entry, and we do not infer support for every device from general marketing wording.
Check the developer name when searching: similarly named American mahjong apps are different products. The source below identifies the exact listing reviewed.
Try the same small task before choosing
Use your intended card edition and one device you expect to play on. Find American mahjong, open solo practice and look for an explanation of the first Charleston pass. Then see whether hand suggestions and other hints can be changed separately. Record the exact control names rather than assuming every app means the same thing by assistance.
Repeat with fewer hints when you feel ready. This is a comparison task you can use, not a measured learning result. If you need friend games, test a real invitation separately; a solo hand cannot answer that question.
Before your group makes it a standing date
Try the actual invitation on the devices your friends will use. Check whether guests can join in a browser, need an installation or account, or face a paid step. If your group wants to talk while playing, check how you will handle voice or video too.
Make sure everyone agrees on the mahjong variant and supported card edition. Owning or subscribing to an app does not automatically mean you own the printed card. Ask what guidance is included, whether the pace is adjustable and how to return after closing the app.
Treat free download, free lessons, free full games and a free trial as four different offers. Check who pays, what renews and whether the option you want is included. A short trial on your own device is more informative than a store rating about someone else’s setup.
If you want a small first step with JONGG
Our practice guide connects short browser exercises to guided play. It is a place to try a tile or call decision before choosing a longer session. Check the current card information before a full hand; JONGG is independent of the National Mah Jongg League and does not replace its printed card.
For a correction to this guide, write to hello@jongg.app with the product, claim and current publisher source.