Here's why all the cool kids are playing mahjong now

Click clack. A seemingly choreographed symphony of hands moves in careful coordination. It’s more than muscle memory —it’s a performance displayed with near precision. Put simply, it's a day in the life of a mahjong player. Mahjong, once relegated to the private domains of Chinese grandparents and quiet Sunday afternoons, is having a pretty public rebrand as vintage, strategic, and impossibly cool—from Hong Kong’s smoky tea houses to Seoul’s sleek apartments and college dorms in New York. Naturally, we had to find out why.

First, a little context

Originating in the late 1800s in China, mahjong is a 144-tile game played by four players. These players must draw a tile from a stack and then choose one to discard based on whether or not it helps their hand. It’s similar to rummy, but more complex with many tiles at play. The goal is simple: be the first to collect a full hand (usually 14 tiles + a pair). If yours is complete and matches one of the winning patterns, congratulations! It’s time to say, “Mahjong!” 

Equal parts social and strategic, this is not your average board game. It’s a deadly combination of strategy and memory; think: a mix between cards and puzzles—but with tiles. Like chess, but with a bit of luck thrown in. But why the sensation all these centuries later?

The haute revival

Is it a matter of style over substance? Quite the opposite. “There’s no dress code for our sessions—people come in whatever they’re wearing,” shares Sabrina Tan, founder of Singapore-based Mahjong Lah, an institute that offers lessons on the game. Tan is also the first person in the country to modernise and structure the teaching of mahjong. 

This no-black-tie, no-nonsense attitude appeals to many: to those who arrive with a simple agenda—to play. Ishira Kumar, co-founder of the Mumbai-based The Mahjong Network, echoes this sentiment. “Nothing is overdone,” she says. “Think comfy pants, fresh nails, a bold ring, or a little wrist sparkle. You’re put together, but ready to fight a dragon if needed.” Together with Ria Bajaj (who also runs a social media agency) and fashion entrepreneur Maneka Jain Daswani, the trio has made it a quest to introduce the Chinese cultural pastime to India in an adapted, desi style and steadily built a thriving mahjong community in Mumbai that is organically making waves across the nation. 

In a world inundated with GRWM videos and trends per second, perhaps mahjong’s undemanding persona poses as a welcome break for those seeking it. “The aesthetic is simply smart and elegant,” elaborates Kumar. “Someone once called it 'lazy girl padel,' and honestly, that weirdly works. It has the same ritual element to it, and it gives your day just the right dose of competitive energy. You’re completely focused on playing with the people at the table. No distractions, no multitasking. And I think people relish that!”. 

A community-driven, digital detox

While mahjong apps do exist, the game’s charm lies in tactility and communal ethos. Shuffling, rearranging and discarding tiles is a part of the process that was designed to be done by hand and, as Daswani puts it, “the perfect antidote to mindless scrolling ... It requires you to be fully present. If you’re on your phone mid-hand, you’ll probably miss your game-making pung. You can’t passively play Mahjong, and people genuinely love that.” 

For Sharon Dhondy, a Mumbai-based private mahjong instructor, the joy is not just in victory, but also in-person. “I wake up feeling good just knowing I’m with friends and doing something I enjoy,” she shares. “It’s social yet elusive,” agrees Kumar. “We’ve seen friendships form, neighbours finally meet, creative collabs take shape, plenty of networking, and even a few potential matchmakings discussed over the tiles!”. 

This communal ethos is equally prevalent across international borders. Tan shares an example, “The Green Tile Social Club in the U.S. is doing a great job via Instagram of organising social games based on Hong Kong/Cantonese-style mahjong. They're great at making the game feel fresh and trendy by hosting sessions in restaurants and bars. It looks like a lot of fun, and I think it resonates especially well with the younger generation, who are increasingly drawn to social and experiential activities,” she reveals. 

Ishira agrees, adding, “This isn’t a social club with a game, it’s a game with a social side. That distinction is important to us because it keeps the energy focused on mahjong and in showing up to play. The gameplay is what hooks you, but the community and energy around it keep you coming back, to meet new people every week, and play with focus and fun”. 

An appeal beyond time and place

What's particularly interesting about this centuries-old game is how quickly Millennials and Gen Z have taken to it. “Players can sit for hours at the table, regardless of generation or language. I remember a Japanese lady who brought her elderly mother, who didn’t speak English. She helped with some translating, but by the end of the session, we were all playing together. We connected through the game, even though we couldn’t communicate verbally. That’s the beauty and the magic of mahjong!” Tan recalls. The players at The Mahjong Network in India are an interesting mix as well. “From new moms craving a mid-day break and grandmothers excited to pass on their skills to nine-to-fivers who wanted something mindful and fun after work, it’s this beautiful intersection of people who just want to play,” Daswani reveals.

In the West, experts have noticed a similar trend. “Baby boomers who are retiring are turning to mahjong both as a way to meet new people and because it’s a fun, challenging pastime,” shares American historian Dr Annelise Heinz, who has also authored a book on the game titled Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture. 

Though traditionally played in China, this welcoming attribute of mahjong underscores its ability to transcend borders and become a game with an ageless, global appeal. The Mahjong Network co-founder Bajaj points out how this is possible because the game speaks a universal language. “We’re a generation that’s equal parts global and Indian, in the content we consume, the food we eat, and the spaces we move through. Mahjong might feel foreign at first, but it becomes familiar very quickly. And because it’s social, multigenerational, and community-driven, in a way, it’s more Indian than it seems.” 

A pretty good-looking game

Tactile, stylish and unique, mahjong clearly has all the makings of a trending reel for the virtual world. No wonder, then, that it has people hooked. “Part of its appeal has always been how beautiful the tiles are, and the way they sound and feel—it’s deeply satisfying on a core sensory level,” shares Dr Heinz, whose book delves into the history of mahjong and its significance in American culture.

Bajaj agrees, adding, “Everything is Instagrammable now, but Mahjong definitely delivers on the post-worthy moments. Making a rare hand, getting dealt a terrible one, the sound of the shuffle, the symmetry of a clean win, it’s naturally aesthetic. Let’s be honest, if you didn’t post your mahjong table, did it even happen? That said, once you’ve posted five games in a week, people will start asking if you still have a job.” Point taken. 

Meanwhile, Tan gently reminds us of how the novelty itself plays a part in the game's virality. “In terms of visuals, the tiles are definitely a part of the appeal—especially for non-Chinese learners, as it’s their first time seeing these tiles with different colours and Chinese characters. Personally, I think the classic green sets are the best. Though now, my favourite is a jade-like colour that looks a bit more “premium.”

In pop culture

We can’t help but wonder if pop culture has played a starring role in mahjong’s sudden popularity. Drawing from her expertise, Dr Heinz confirms the hypothesis, “Yes, anytime a high-profile movie highlights mahjong, the game rises in popular attention. The Joy Luck Club did so in the early ‘90s, as did Crazy Rich Asians more recently.” 

Letting us in on the Pan-Asian stance of our pop culture theory, Tan reveals, “We're based in Singapore, and most of the people who attend my classes are either expats or tourists visiting. Interestingly, quite a few of them come because they’ve watched Crazy Rich Asians. It’s a popular movie, and the mahjong scene seems to have intrigued many of them. Julia Roberts also once described mahjong on television as a way of “creating order out of chaos”—which I thought was a lovely way to put it.”

Daswani informs us that the craze is just as prevalent in India, “There’s definitely a bit of a Crazy Rich Asians echo. People come in imagining glam tables, manicures, and drama. But honestly, the trend happened due to word of mouth. Everyone had a friend who started learning. Then they tried it and got hooked. Soon, the FOMO kicked in, and everyone was learning or playing!” 

From grandmas to the grid, mahjong has had quite the journey, undeniably excelling at one thing: bringing people together. And for a change, here is something that’s trending for all the right reasons. 

Images: Unsplash

Also read: Cotton Candy sneakers are the sweetest trend of the season—and here’s what to pick

Also read: Viswanathan Anand’s son is only 14—and already an exhibiting artist