The interface itself is clean and the boards rotate smoothly, but there are no entertaining frills such as different tile designs, backgrounds, music – or fun. Yes, the novelty factor convinces you that it makes a nice change for around ten minutes, but then the limitations of Stack Mahjong 3D quickly become clear. Like most blockbuster films, there’s not much point in Mahjong being in 3D. But what’s the best free Mahjong app?įor my sins, I downloaded five Mahjong solitaire apps and, because we’re very scientific here at The Big Tech Question, awarded each a score out of five Red Dragon (🀄) tiles. The simple but addictive game on your device is actually Mahjong solitaire and it’s a perfect way of zoning-out on a long train journey.

They share the same tiles, but that’s about it. Whatever its roots, Mahjong is a complex, nuanced game that can take years to master… and bears absolutely no resemblance to the Mahjong app installed on your iPad.

There’s a lot of debate surrounding the origins of Mahjong (麻將): certain historians argue that the tile-based game evolved during the priceless-vase-producing Ming dynasty of 1368 to 1644, but most experts agree that the modern version was perfected in the late nineteenth century.

Free simple mahjong