Start with these ideas
- Three computer players favour speed, high faan and defence respectively.
- Choose modes by the task you want to practise.
- Compare your own reasoning with a hint; a suggestion is not a guarantee.
Three styles at one table
You play against three computer-controlled characters in the browser game. Their styles influence choices; they are not three selectable difficulty levels. Read what happens at the table rather than assuming a character will always play the same way.
For example, a normally defensive opponent can still attack with a strong hand. A quick-playing opponent can have a high-faan hand. Use exposed sets, discards and your own progress when deciding whether to call or defend.
| Player | Preference | Practice focus |
|---|---|---|
| Ah Cen · 阿岑 | Speed and useful connections; more willing to claim. | How an exposed set changes possible hands. |
| Ah Hui · 阿惠 | High faan and a closed hand when the starting tiles suit it. | When a big-hand plan needs a fallback. |
| Uncle Meng · 孟叔 | Defence and efficiency, with room to attack. | What the visible tiles tell you about risk. |
Modes change the task, not a difficulty ladder
Choose Guided practice to learn controls and complete a hand with a 0-faan minimum. Standard hand requires at least 3 faan and finishes after one hand. Four-round match also requires 3 faan and continues through dealer changes and cumulative points.
Turning hints off does not raise the minimum, and turning them on does not lower it. The selected mode sets the task; you still face computer opponents. Points are for the game and have no cash value.
Use a hint as a comparison
The browser’s beginner help looks for a disconnected tile in your own hand: a lone honour, or a lone suited tile more than two ranks from your other tiles in that suit. This connection hint is available in guided practice when hints are on. It does not rank every discard by efficiency or danger and does not read opponents’ concealed tiles.
A lone East may have no partner now, yet still matter if East is your seat or round wind and you later form a Pung. Before following a hint, ask which tiles could improve the hand and how you plan to meet the minimum. “No obvious isolated tile” means the helper found no such candidate, not that every discard is equally good.
Ready-hand and scoring hints answer different questions about completing the hand. A structural wait alone does not prove a legal 3-faan discard win. Review the displayed winning conditions or use the faan calculator.
A few things to know
Can I invite a friend or join a live table?
This browser game is single-player against computers. It has no live matchmaking or friend rooms.
Does Uncle Meng always play safely?
No. A defensive preference is not a guarantee. His choices depend on the hand and situation, and he can still deal in.
Is the beginner hint the computer’s best-move recommendation?
No. It is a simple connection check on your own tiles. Use it to learn relationships, then compare your scoring route and visible risk yourself.