| Microsoft Mahjong | |
|---|---|
 Microsoft Mahjong on Windows 10 | |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios[3] |
| Producers |
|
| Platforms | |
| Release | Windows 8
|
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Mode | Single-player |
Microsoft Mahjong (formerlyMahjong Titans,Shanghai Solitaire andTaipei) is acomputer game version ofmahjong solitaire published byMicrosoft. The version titledMahjong Titans was developed by Oberon Games and included inWindows Vista[4] andWindows 7 (except Starter and Home Basic editions). It takes advantage of the newgraphical user interface (GUI) of Windows Vista, and includes features such as tile set and background choices. (In Windows Vista builds 5219 up to 5259, the game was known asShanghai Solitaire.[5]) The game did not make it toWindows 8; however, a standalone version, developed byArkadium[2] and published byMicrosoft Studios,[3] can be downloaded from theWindows Storefree of charge and played without download on the web.[6][3]
An older version of the game was known asTaipei and was bundled inMicrosoft Entertainment Pack 1 andBest of Microsoft Entertainment Pack.[7][8] That version included 32,767 possible configurations.[9]
A mobile version of the game was released oniOS andAndroid, known asMahjong by Microsoft.[10]
The player has a choice of six tile layouts:[11] Turtle, Dragon, Cat, Fortress, Crab, and Spider. Each is a stylized portrayal of the respective object or animal. The background image can be chosen from five different options and there are four tile sets, including traditionalMahjong tiles, variations with fuller coloring or larger print, and an alternative pastel tile set with an entirely different picture theme.
Games are not entirely random. There is always at least one pair within five tiles of the topmost five tiles in the turtle layout and often two pairs. Thealgorithm for tile organization positions tiles such that they can mostly be paired on the same level, or otherwise a matching tile is available in an accessible position one level down. It does not check to ensure that the matching tile is not positioned beneath its partner. Since every tile has 3 partners this is not enough, by itself, to prove the game is impossible to solve.
The newer version ofMicrosoft Mahjong adds new layouts, improved graphics and sound, online features such as a set of daily challenges that reward the user with "badges" when completed, andXbox Live integration.
