Mahjong

I’m not as big a collector of Mahjong games as my boyfriend is; he has a really impressive collection of both import and domestic games for the SNES (even leaving the solitaire mahjong games aside, there’s an impressive number). But, even though I am nothing more than a beginner, I do like playing the game and am always looking out for something new. While standing in line for Stellazzio Virtual Theater’s production of “Phantom of the Opera” last night (their productions are held entirely within Final Fantasy XIV, making them the perfect socially-distanced night on the town), I grew bored with waiting and chatting with my FC and picked up my Switch. ...

I’m still so pumped from Wednesday’s game night. I just want to play more Mahjong. Luckily, FFXIV is always there to help with that need. I’m still a novice, an absolute beginner, so I sat down at the beginner board and the game gave me some AI opponents to play with. I have played on the intermediate board; I didn’t win any more, but it was nice to chat with people, and they would offer help when asked. But I think for now it’s enough to just play against the AI and try to build up some skill. ...

We have been preparing for this night for a very long time. Tom has always had an intense interest in Mahjong, especially in the Japanese variant, Riichi Mahjong. He’s got books and books about it. Lots of apps. A vast collection of Vita and Super Famicom versions. Once while I was visiting him when he still lived in Ohio, he pulled out this beautiful, heavy, set, and we sat down and he taught me how to play. It’s just like the card game Rummy, he said, and it is… except that the Japanese, bless their hearts, decided that would be too easy, and so they added a bunch of win conditions you needed to also keep in mind if you wanted to build a winning hand. ...