Let’s get you playing.

Hé Fēn brings mahjong to your browser and your real table. Play against the computer or with friends online, learn a new ruleset, and use the mobile app to photograph and score physical tiles.

Start with Learn for six short lessons and tile exercises, then try a practice game in Play. Choose the ruleset your table uses; you can open its scoring sheet during a game whenever you need a reminder.

You can learn and play in your browser without a download or a sign-up form. For photo scoring, download the Hé Fēn app for iPhone, iPad or Android.

The website offers browser games, private online tables, lessons, rules and strategy. The app also lets you photograph real tiles, check the recognised hand and keep score for an in-person session. Leagues are planned for a future release.

Browser play is free. The app is free to download and offers an optional subscription to remove ads. Check Settings in the app for the current price and subscription details.

There are five built-in rulesets: Taiwanese Classic, Taiwanese Club, Hong Kong New Style, Japanese Riichi and Chinese Official MCR. Each has a guide here. You can also upload your own house rules. Our American mahjong introduction explains card-based play; it does not include an annual card.

Open Score in the app and photograph your hand, or choose a photo from your library. Check the recognised tiles, correct any mistakes, and confirm. Mark your exposed sets and winning tile, then choose how the hand was won to see its scoring breakdown.

Place the tiles in good light with every face visible. Keep the hand in frame and leave out the wall and discard pile. Avoid glare, blur and overlapping tiles. A little space between tiles helps the reader distinguish them.

On Check the Tiles, tap the tile and choose the correct one from the grid. Review the rest of the hand before confirming. You can also enrol your tile set in Settings to help the app recognise its artwork.

Choose Add a missing tile and select it from the grid. Check the total against your physical hand, including any kongs or bonus tiles. If several tiles were missed, a clearer photo may be easier.

Choose MARK on the score screen. Select the winning tile and mark sets claimed from other players as exposed. These details matter: some scoring patterns depend on whether a hand or set stayed concealed.

Choose Self-draw, Discard or Robbing a Gong, as appropriate for your ruleset. Check the dealer and wind details too. The score and payments can change depending on how the winning tile arrived.

Choose RESCAN to return to the camera and take another photo.

Yes. You can use the app on phones and tablets, including iPad. A larger screen gives you more room to review the recognised tiles and score.

Open the scoresheet, enter each player’s adjustment in the ± row, and choose Add to Sheet. Select a manual entry to see the transfers and penalties listed for your ruleset.

Yes. Set up the players for your in-person game and use the scoresheet to track results across rounds. Score a hand from a photo or enter the points manually.

Yes. You can enter points manually on the scoresheet. Photo scoring is there when you want help working out a hand.

In the app, open Rules and select the set you want to use. On the website, choose a ruleset in the Play lobby before starting. The selected rules stay with the game until it ends.

Yes. In the app, open Rules and choose Add Rules. On the website, use Manage your rules. Upload your document and Hé Fēn processes it into a ruleset you can use for scoring. This needs an internet connection and can take several minutes.

PDF, DOCX, TXT or Markdown, up to 20 MB. Clear scoring tables and explanations work best. Convert older .doc files to DOCX or PDF first.

Read the extracted rules and compare the scoring values, winning conditions and payments with your document before playing. Try a hand whose score you already know. If something is missing or unclear, contact us with the document and an example.

Check the built-in ruleset’s options first. If your table’s variation is listed, select it there. Upload a document when your house rules need a different scoring setup.

It lets the app learn from photos of your own tile set. That can help with unusual lettering, colours or illustrations. Think of it as an introduction to the tiles at your table; you should still check each recognised hand.

Open Settings in the app, choose Teach the app your tiles, and follow the guided capture. Use clear, well-lit photos of the tile faces.

No. Try scanning your tiles first. Enrolment is useful if the app repeatedly confuses particular tiles or struggles with your set’s artwork.

Choose Play on the website. Deal me in starts a game against the computer. Create a table gives you a private table code to share with friends, and Join with a code lets you accept an invitation. Public matchmaking is not available yet.

Three computer opponents from the Hé Fēn cast. Choose an AI difficulty that suits you, whether you’re finding your feet or looking for a tougher game.

On the website, choose Create a table and share its code. In the app, set a player seat to Online and create the table. Friends can join from the website or their own app.

On the website, open Play, enter the code under Your invitation, and choose Join with a code. In the app, open Play and use Enter table code.

You can play against the computer or at a private online table, read the guides and manage your rules in the browser. Photo scoring is available in the mobile app. Leagues and public matchmaking are not available yet.

Leagues are planned for a future release, with standings across games for your own circle. They are not available yet.

Set up the four players in Score and play with your real tiles. Photograph each winning hand or enter the points manually. The scoresheet keeps the session’s results together.

Yes. Choose My Phone for the players sharing your device. Pass & play uses a handoff screen to hide each player’s tiles while the phone changes hands.

In rulesets that support it, Ding Ding is a ready-hand declaration: your hand is one tile from winning. The app offers the action when you qualify. A declaration can restrict your later choices, so check your ruleset before committing.

Many rulesets allow a win from another player’s discard as well as from your own draw. The hand must meet the chosen ruleset’s winning conditions. The app offers a win when it identifies a qualifying hand.

Compare the recognised tiles, exposed sets, winning tile and hand details with your real hand, then read the point-by-point breakdown. The built-in guides explain the rules used in Hé Fēn. If a score still looks wrong, send us the hand and ruleset so we can investigate.

Tile reading and scoring run on your device, so you can score with rules already installed without a connection. Online games, processing new rule uploads and downloading updates need internet access.

Ordinary tile recognition runs on your device. If you choose to share scans to help improve recognition or submit a score for review, the relevant images and details are sent to us. You can manage scan sharing in Settings. See the Privacy Policy for more detail.

Please contact us with the hand, ruleset and score you expected. Include a photo or relevant rule if you have one. We’ll use the details to investigate and explain any difference.