Free riichi mahjong tools in English are a necessity for the western community. We have more resources than ever. Knowing which ones are good is the hard part.
As a professional player in Japan with 17+ years of experience, I've curated only the absolute best free tools. No affiliates, no fluff.
What's included:
- Online play: Tenhou, Mahjong Soul
- Offline practice: GameDesign Mahjong
- Learning: Full video tutorial
- Strategy: Best English e-book
- Reference: Cheat sheet and glossary
- Training: Tile efficiency and wait reading apps
- Community: Discord and Facebook groups
Selection criteria:
- Free
- In English
- Best of its genre
Only the best: free and in English.
Whether you're learning to play or aiming to go pro, these tools will accelerate your progress.
Online play: Tenhou
The best online mahjong server isn't originally English. It's tenhou.net.
tenhou.net
You don't need much Japanese to navigate it. There's an English interface available.
Tenhou in English
I helped translate the official HD version: Tenhou HD Special Version
Change language via the dropdown in the top right. Available in English, Chinese, Korean, Russian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian, German, and more.
Note: Yaku names remain in Japanese by design. There's a workaround I'll explain below.
Tenhou is the most competitive online riichi mahjong hub.
The ranking system separates beginners from intermediates and experts effectively. For serious competition, nothing else comes close. Other servers work fine for casual play. Use Tenhou to face increasingly stronger opponents. (Word of warning though.)
Tenhou logs all games as replay files. Perfect for sharing with stronger players for game reviews. (I offer this service.)
Non-HD Tenhou English patch
Can't run the HD version? Use the Tenhou English GUI Chrome Extension or Firefox equivalent.
This add-on also adds numeric indices to tiles.
Online play: Mahjong Soul
Mahjong Soul is the polished alternative for those who prefer visual appeal over hardcore competition.
Available in English via web and app stores.
What you get:
- Built-in mahjong tutorial (in English)
- Mobile and desktop support
- Beautiful 3D interface
- Online and offline play
- Ranking system and events
- Achievements, items, characters
- Shareable game logs
Pro players display a golden badge (paw or P) next to their name.
My account
Mahjong Soul has its own English Discord where Japanese and western players interact. For game log reviews, submit through my Patreon.
Offline practice
Sometimes you want quick games at your own pace without other humans.
Mahjong Soul (above) offers AI opponents. For browser-based play, try GameDesign's Japanese Mahjong if the HTML5 version is still available (the Flash version died in 2020).
When I started playing, I spent countless hours against this CPU, sometimes all night. Today, 17+ years later, I'm a pro in Japan. Offline practice matters.
Video tutorial: Zero to hero
For beginners learning rules and yaku, this tutorial is excellent.
Warning: it's 3 hours long.
Worth the time. It's engaging, detailed, and takes you from complete beginner to competent player.
Best strategy book
You know the rules. Now you need strategy.
Riichi Book I by Daina Chiba is the answer.
Free, in English, covers every fundamental strategic concept. By far the best English-language resource for becoming a solid player.
Download it. Ask me if you have questions about the content.
Best cheat sheet
EMA's Mahjong Cheat Sheet: scoring, rules, yaku, translations. All in 2 printable pages.
Keep it at hand during play.
Best glossary
NEW: NPMahjong Glossary — 186 terms with Japanese, romaji, English translations, and explanations. Searchable and organized by category.
Filter by category (tiles, yaku, gameplay, scoring, etiquette, slang) or search any term instantly. Each entry includes usage examples where relevant. Use Ctrl+F to search. Read start to finish to master mahjong terminology.
Barticle's Japanese Mahjong Glossary: if you encounter an unfamiliar term, it's probably here.
Training apps
Score tracker
Mahjong Tracker: free, English, easy to use, with game history.
Essential if you don't have an automatic scoring table.
Tile efficiency trainer
Tile Efficiency Trainer: shows the widest discard for each hand.
Caveat: This tool focuses on pure tile acceptance, not hand value or Expected Value. For EV training, use this Japanese tool instead. But don't underestimate experience.
Wait reading trainer
Lost in a Chin Itsu hand? Ozball's Mahjong Wait Quiz will fix that.
Simple and effective. You'll master complex waits within weeks.
Wiki
The English Mahjong Wiki: read it, use it, contribute to it.
Community
I founded the Osamuko Facebook group, now one of the biggest mahjong communities on the platform. Join us for discussion, club promotion, and mutual improvement.
For Discord users, join the server. It's become the de facto English-language mahjong hub.
I'm not always active there, but the mods and members are excellent.
Quick summary
- Casual online play: Mahjong Soul
- Competitive online play: Tenhou (with English UI patch)
- Learn rules: 3-hour YouTube tutorial
- Learn strategy: Riichi Book I + Discord discussions
- Personal coaching: Become a Patron (starts at $1)
Want more? Personal coaching and game reviews are available through my Patreon. You'll also be supporting the growth of English-language mahjong resources.
Which tool helped you most? Let me know.
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