Mahjong Live vs Mahjong Soul
Mahjong Soul is the online game most new Riichi players find first. Mahjong Live is the one we send people to. They're built for different players, so the right pick depends on how you play.
The short answer
If you only play Japanese Riichi and want a polished ranked ladder with anime characters, play Mahjong Soul. If you play any other style, play with family who learned different rules, or are still learning, play Mahjong Live.
| Mahjong Live | Mahjong Soul | |
|---|---|---|
| Rule sets | Taiwanese, Japanese Riichi, Hong Kong Parlour, Indian, Passport 965. American listed as coming soon. | Japanese Riichi |
| Price | Free | Free, with paid gacha characters and cosmetics |
| Where it runs | Web browser | Browser, iOS, Android, Steam |
| Play with friends | Private tables by link | Private rooms |
| Live lessons | Bookable teachers, rated, with 30+ wins per style taught | Not offered by the game |
| Competition | Scheduled brackets and a Daily Arena ladder | Ranked rooms and official tournaments such as the Catfood Bowl |
| Made by | Mahjong Live | Cat Food Studio, published worldwide by Yostar |
Where Mahjong Soul wins
Mahjong Soul has been running since 2018 in China and 2019 worldwide, and it shows. The animation and sound are polished, the character cast has a following of its own, and the Steam release has a "Very Positive" rating. If you love Riichi and want to climb a large ranked ladder, it's an excellent home.
Its game records have even become research material: the open-source Kanachan project trains its models on Mahjong Soul games.
Where Mahjong Live wins
More than one game. Mahjong Soul plays only Riichi. Mahjong Live has five styles at the same site with one account, and each one has its own rules page. That matters if you learned Hong Kong or Taiwanese rules at home and only picked up Riichi later, or the other way round.
Built to teach. Mahjong Live has a beginner's guide, practice drills, and live lessons with teachers who must have won at least 30 hands in each style they teach.
Bots when you want them. Challenge the AI gives you a table of bots to play at your own pace. It's ideal for trying a new style before you play people.
Nothing to buy. There's no gacha and no characters to unlock. You sign in and play.
Who should pick which
- Riichi players chasing rank: Mahjong Soul, or Tenhou if you want the ladder the top engines are measured on.
- Families and groups with mixed rules: Mahjong Live.
- Beginners: Mahjong Live. Learn with guides and bots, then book a lesson.
- Hong Kong, Taiwanese or Indian players: Mahjong Live. Mahjong Soul doesn't offer these styles.
Plenty of players use both: Mahjong Soul for Riichi ranked, Mahjong Live for everything else.
Try Mahjong Live free
Five rule sets, AI tables and private games with friends, all in your browser.