Playing American Mah Jongg Against the Computer: What to Expect
Friends at Mahjong is a browser table for American Mah Jongg. If you want to practice without rounding up three other people, you can sit down against three computer-controlled opponents — no software to install, no app to download, and no account required to play your first game. (If you'd rather jump straight in, the game itself lives at friendsatmahjong.com/single-player; this post walks through what the experience actually involves, step by step, whether you're learning the rules or already know them.)
One thing to know before you start
If you already own a current National Mah Jongg League card, you're welcome to use it as your personal reference while you play here. But Friends at Mahjong's own in-game card and the League's annual card aren't guaranteed to list the exact same set of hands in the exact same count, so a hand on your physical card may not have a matching entry in the interface. The single-player setup page shows what the in-game card currently covers — worth a look before you sit down if you're planning to play from your own card. Friends at Mahjong is an independent teaching and gaming resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Mah Jongg League.
How a game against the computer works
- Go to the homepage at friendsatmahjong.com and select "Play a free game."
- The table loads in your browser with three computer-controlled opponents seated. There's no sign-up step before this first game — you're dealt in immediately.
- Play through the Charleston and the hand. The computer opponents pass and call tiles as part of the same turn order and phases as a hand with people — the Charleston, then calling and discarding, then going for a hand off the card. We haven't benchmarked the computer opponents' individual tile decisions against real human play, so if you're an experienced player, treat this as a structural match (the phases and flow you expect) rather than a claim that every call or pass will read exactly like a human opponent's.
- Create a free account when you want to keep playing. Additional free games become available once you sign up — see the plans and pricing page for the current free-game allowance and what each membership unlocks afterward, since those details live on that page and can change.
What the computer opponents give you
Playing against the computer is a way to work through the mechanics of American Mah Jongg — reading the tiles, following the Charleston, and playing out a hand — without needing three other people and an evening set aside. If you're new to the game, Friends at Mahjong's own how-to chapters and guided onboarding tour (linked from the homepage) are there to walk through the tiles, the card, and scoring before or alongside a game against the computer. If you already play with a regular group, the same table gives you reps between sessions.
Can you also play with people instead of the computer?
Yes — Friends at Mahjong supports private tables where you play remotely with friends instead of the computer. That's a separate mode from solo play against computer opponents; membership details for private tables are on the membership page.
The short version
Computer opponents at Friends at Mahjong give you a practice table you can sit down at any time — whether you're still learning the rules or just want extra reps between real group games. If you're bringing your own NMJL card, check the single-player setup page first to see what the in-game card covers. When you're ready to actually play, that's at friendsatmahjong.com/single-player.