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Product OverviewGameplay Mechanics

Product Overview

Mahjong Stars product offering is designed to deliver a comprehensive and engaging gameplay experience while providing a robust framework for future expansion. This section covers gameplay mechanics, AI integration, digital assets and social features in detail.

Mahjong Stars’ product offering is designed to deliver a comprehensive and engaging gameplay experience while providing a robust framework for future expansion.

Gameplay Mechanics

Supported Mahjong Variants

Mahjong Stars recognises that Mahjong has many regional variants, each with unique rules and scoring systems. The platform aims to support the most popular versions and provide customisation options for house rules. The initial launch focuses on:

  • Riichi (Japanese Mahjong): Known for its strategic depth, Riichi features complex scoring patterns, concealed hands and the riichi declaration. It appeals to competitive players who enjoy intricate tactical play. Mahjong Stars implements Riichi with official tournament rules and optional house rule variations.
  • Bang Bang (Casual Mahjong): This variant simplifies certain aspects of Mahjong to make the game more accessible for beginners. Bang Bang emphasises fast play, straightforward scoring and a shorter learning curve, making it ideal for casual and social matches.

Future updates will introduce additional rule sets, including but not limited to:

  • Cantonese/Hong Kong Mahjong: A popular variant in Southern China and Hong Kong with flower tiles and a fan-based scoring system.
  • American Mahjong: Featuring Jokers and special combinations, American Mahjong differs significantly from Asian rule sets. It is widely played in the United States and has a dedicated following.
  • Singaporean and Korean Variants: These versions offer unique tile sets and play dynamics. Adding them will broaden Mahjong Stars’ appeal in different regions.

By offering multiple rule sets, the platform ensures inclusivity and fosters cross-regional play. Players can host matches using their preferred rules, attracting friends and communities from around the world.

Casual and Competitive Play Modes

Mahjong Stars provides a variety of play modes to cater to different player preferences:

  • Casual Matches: For those who want a relaxed experience, casual matches can be set up quickly with friends or strangers. Players can choose table settings, including the number of rounds, time limits and stake levels. Casual play emphasises fun and social interaction over ranking and rewards.

  • Ranked Games: Competitive players can participate in ranked games that contribute to their global ranking. The ranking system considers win rates, skill level and match difficulty. Rankings reset periodically to ensure fairness and give new players an opportunity to climb the leaderboards.

  • Tournaments: Mahjong Stars hosts daily, weekly and seasonal tournaments with various formats, such as single-elimination, Swiss or round-robin. Tournaments offer larger prize pools, including rare characters, charm bundles or soft currency. Some tournaments may require entry fees (paid in soft currency or tokens) and feature multi-round events culminating in live-streamed finals.

  • Practice and Training Mode: Beginners can practice against AI opponents at varying difficulty levels. Training mode includes optional hints and allows players to replay and analyse hands with built-in tools.

  • Private Rooms: Players can create password-protected tables to play with friends, apply house rules or host club events. Private rooms support voice chat and video integration, replicating the feel of a real-world Mahjong parlour.

Tournaments, Leaderboards and Ranked Matches

Tournaments and ranking systems are essential for sustaining a competitive community. Mahjong Stars implements:

  • Global Leaderboards: A real-time leaderboard displays top players across different categories, including casual rating, ranked rating, clan ranking and AI performance ranking. Leaderboards increase visibility for skilled players and encourage others to improve.
  • Seasonal Rankings: Rankings are divided into seasons, with resets and rewards at the end of each season. Seasonal resets prevent dominant players from holding the top spots indefinitely and motivate continuous play. Rewards may include exclusive cosmetics, characters or studio slots.
  • Multi-tier Tournaments: Daily tournaments offer quick competitions with small entry fees and modest prizes. Weekly tournaments provide larger prize pools and longer formats. Seasonal championships serve as flagship events, featuring qualifiers, live broadcasts and substantial rewards.
  • Clan Competitions: Clans can compete in clan-only tournaments, where teams of players accumulate points based on individual performances. Clan competitions foster teamwork and cross-player strategy development.

Addressing Current Online Mahjong Issues

Existing online Mahjong platforms face several challenges:

  • Lack of Fairness: Some platforms have been accused of bias in tile distributions or matching algorithms, undermining trust.
  • Limited Regional Support: Many games restrict players to regional rule sets, limiting global interaction.
  • Absence of High-Level Competition: Few platforms offer robust tournament systems or meaningful rankings.
  • Poor Monetisation Models: Pay-to-win mechanics or excessive advertising drive away serious players.

Mahjong Stars addresses these issues by:

  • Implementing fair randomisation by enabling each player to have their own AI, trained on their own behavior and level of skill there are no bots of which could be rigged.

  • Supporting multiple rule sets and customisation, encouraging cross-regional play.

  • Offering structured competitive modes with attractive rewards and clear rankings.

  • Employing a soft currency system that allows players to earn upgrades through gameplay rather than purchases. Optional purchases are limited to cosmetic items, digital collectibles, table fees and entry fees for larger tournaments.

Next Steps

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Market OpportunityAI Integration