THE EAST WIND

Mahjong is one of the most popular strategy games in Asia and throughout the world, challenging 4 players to match wits over 4 rounds. The game consists of 144 tiles, split into 3 suits and one set of honor tiles. I grew up playing mahjong with my family, but a major limitation is that you need the tiles, a square table, 4 players, and time. I aim to change that by removing the barrier to play with local and online multiplayer modes.

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It is also a complex game with intricate rules, making it hard for beginners to pick up without properly going through the gameplay. There are existing apps for solo play but their educational component for engaging new players is severely limited. With my background in data science, I am developing a trainer that shows you what meld combinations you can complete, how many points it is worth, and the odds of completing said combination. Along with that, I am building scalable AI opponents based on the user's skill to progressively challenge the user to improve. 

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Furthermore, the lack of local or online multiplayer greatly reduces the enjoyable social component and banter that is part of the soul of the game. My goal is for The East Wind to be flexible across platforms and accessible to all in order to grow the game and remain true to its spirit.