The Mahjong Huntress

About

The Mahjong Huntress is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Nawia Games and was released on May 25, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Embark on a mysterious quest in search of the missing groom, Charles Gilbertworth, solve riddles, encounter supernatural creatures and ghosts - all while solving relaxing and fun Mahjong puzzles with innovative gameplay mechanics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 204 reviews

story13 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

The Mahjong Huntress features a charming story and engaging visuals, providing a unique twist to the traditional mahjong gameplay.
The game offers a large volume of content with hundreds of levels and various challenges, making it suitable for casual players looking for a relaxed experience.
Power-ups and special mechanics add variety to the gameplay, allowing players to approach puzzles in different ways and enhancing accessibility.

Many levels are poorly designed, often resulting in unsolvable boards that force players to rely heavily on power-ups, which can lead to frustration.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with the tile placement algorithm and crashes, detracting from the overall experience.
The integration of a story feels superficial, as it does not significantly enhance the gameplay, and the pacing can be disrupted by frequent narrative interruptions.

story
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
78%
4%
The game's story serves as a light, motivating backdrop for players engaged in a relaxed mahjong puzzle experience, though it is often criticized for its lack of depth and complexity. While some players appreciate the casual narrative and its integration with gameplay, others find it clichéd and poorly executed, with numerous bugs detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the story adds a sense of purpose to the gameplay, but many players feel it is not essential to the enjoyment of the mahjong mechanics.
- “The story begins on what should be a joyful occasion, only to immediately veer into mystery.”
- “The storyline, while basic and not particularly well integrated with the gameplay, adds a feeling of purpose to the proceedings, so you feel like you're doing more than just flipping tiles.”
- “I loved the fact that the story takes a quick turn into the paranormal realms and didn't expect to visit a little elf village in Victorian England!”
- “The story is lame and has no depth; just random stuff added that makes no sense. It's not the main reason to play the game, of course, but still, they could have put in some effort.”
- “The story is pretty much your cliché fantasy with werewolves and ghost ships, with a bit of nonsense magic from your 'grandfather' that just copies the shrinking scene from Alice in Wonderland!”
- “Presentation is decent, but the story bits are really shoehorned in.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
10%
The gameplay is centered around traditional mahjong tile-matching mechanics, enhanced by power-ups and special features that add strategic depth but can also feel gimmicky and disrupt the casual nature of the game. While the graphics and sound design are generally well-received, the integration of narrative elements with gameplay is seen as lacking, leading to a somewhat disjointed experience. Overall, players appreciate the challenge and aesthetics, but some express frustration with balance issues and repetitive elements that may detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “Power-ups and special mechanics play a significant role in shaping how boards are approached.”
- “The aesthetics are nice, and the gameplay is challenging.”
- “The storyline adds a feeling of purpose to the proceedings, so you feel like you're doing more than just flipping tiles, and the timed 'combo meter' and power-ups add both strategy and urgency to a board game that can sometimes seem dull and mindless.”
- “For others, reliance on these mechanics can feel like a crutch, as certain levels seem balanced around frequent power-up usage rather than pure tile logic.”
- “Difficulty ramps up gradually, though occasional spikes can feel abrupt, particularly when new mechanics are introduced without much explanation.”
- “The gameplay goes like this: no moves left, no moves left, no moves left, no moves left, no moves left, no moves left, no energy crystals left, play over, play over, play over, play over, play over, play over ... until you will want to avada kedavra it to the moon.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
18%
14%
The game's graphics are generally praised for their soft, storybook aesthetic and beautiful artwork, drawing inspiration from Victorian interiors and ghostly folklore. While the visuals are described as good-looking and engaging, some users noted minor glitches and a resemblance to older game styles. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, complemented by a functional user interface and enjoyable sound design.
- “Visually, the game adopts a soft, storybook aesthetic inspired by Victorian interiors and ghostly folklore.”
- “The graphics are good looking, there are some cool songs and sound effects, the overall gameplay is acceptable, with some power-ups and everything, and there's even a story as a background to keep you engaged.”
- “The presentation is very nice, offering pleasant visuals along with a functional and intuitive user interface.”
- “Additionally, when in-between boards, the story progression has graphics that remind me of a hog, which isn't a compliment.”
- “It is not something new; it is what we used to play 10-20 years ago, mini games with really good 2D graphics (sometimes 3D, but not that good), and with some decent campaigns.”
- “Some minor graphic glitches, some spelling errors.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The music in the game is generally described as a calming backdrop that complements the puzzle gameplay, though opinions vary on its effectiveness. While some players appreciate the initial quality and ambiance of the soundtrack, many find it repetitive and overly dramatic for the genre, leading to a desire to lower the volume or turn it off entirely after extended play. Overall, the music is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying it while others find it detracts from the experience.
- “Music and sound effects remain understated, providing a calm backdrop that complements the puzzle-focused gameplay rather than competing for attention.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Great graphics and a good soundtrack.”
- “Truthfully, I found the music overbearing when first starting the game, and reduced the volume.”
- “For those moments when the story is progressing, such music would be just fine, but for the puzzle genre, it's too dynamic.”
- “- only one song that repeats on a loop for all games... terrible.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous game-breaking glitches and bugs that hinder enjoyment and gameplay. While some minor issues are expected at launch, the overall consensus is that the game is currently a "buggy mess," requiring workarounds to complete levels and experiencing problems with achievements.
- “It's buggy and broken.”
- “The game has game-breaking glitches, even when playing on default settings.”
- “What a buggy mess.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively intertwines a narrative framework with its puzzle mechanics, creating an emotional atmosphere that resonates with players. Many reviewers express a range of feelings, from laughter to tears, highlighting its ability to evoke strong emotional responses despite its seemingly simple premise. Overall, it is described as an engaging experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
- “Rather than presenting itself as a pure logic puzzle experience, the game wraps its boards in a narrative framework that attempts to give emotional context and atmosphere to what is otherwise a familiar genre.”
- “I laughed, I cried, I alt-tabbed.”
- “But I'm invested emotionally.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often leading to a loss of interest in the story. Many report that they run out of energy and gems quickly, making it necessary to replay earlier levels repeatedly, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and relaxation the game initially promised.
- “I thought this game would be easy and relaxing, but as I progress, it becomes increasingly tedious, to the point where it feels like a chore and I'm not enjoying the game at all.”
- “Sad as this could have been a decent relaxing casual game, instead it's so frustrating you quickly lose interest in following the story attached, especially after grinding level 8 for the umpteenth time.”
- “Around 1/3 of the levels are impossible without grinding for gems just to use a power-up.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on lower-spec systems, with minimal gimmicks that do not disrupt gameplay.
- “It runs smoothly, has a few gimmicks that don't interfere with gameplay, and performs perfectly on relatively low specs.”
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for simple tasks.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The monetization strategy of Mahjong Huntress has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with features like a time-crunch meter and power-ups designed to encourage microtransactions typical of mobile games. Reviewers express frustration over the perceived greed of the developers, labeling the game as a lazy port lacking genuine value.
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content, making it accessible for everyone while still providing optional purchases for those who want to enhance their experience.”
- “The balance between free play and optional purchases is well done, ensuring that players can progress without needing to spend money if they choose not to.”
- “The mahjong huntress is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a lazy, greedy cash grab.”
- “The inclusion of the time-crunch meter and the power-ups is intended, of course, for the mobile versions of the game to include microtransactions. Yes, apparently the greed of soulless, morally vacant 'developers' has gone low enough to add cash grabs to tile matching.”
- “The inclusion of the time-crunch meter and the power-ups is intended, of course, for the mobile versions of the game to include microtransactions. Yes, apparently the greed of soulless, morally vacant 'developers' has gone low enough to add cash grabs to tile matching.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a narrative framework that adds emotional depth to the traditional logic puzzle format, making it more engaging. Its accessibility and relaxed presentation cater to casual players and tile-matching enthusiasts, providing a more immersive experience than typical entries in the genre.
- “Its strengths lie in its accessibility, large volume of content, and relaxed presentation, making it an easy recommendation for casual players or fans of tile-matching games looking for something slightly more atmospheric.”
- “Rather than presenting itself as a pure logic puzzle experience, the game wraps its boards in a narrative framework that attempts to give emotional context and atmosphere to what is otherwise a familiar genre.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is appreciated by players, but it requires a significant amount of patience to fully enjoy the experience.
- “It's funny, but you need a lot of patience if you want to play this game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game offers strong replayability due to its challenging levels and engaging story, with many puzzles featuring tough 3-star goals that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Surprisingly difficult levels as it progresses, interesting story, and a good amount of both game hours and replayability. There are puzzles with really difficult 3-star goals.”