Give Your Brain a Workout with a Game of Mahjong

Mahjong may be close to two centuries old, but it’s having a moment. Combining strategy, luck and socializing, the tile game has become hugely popular. Searches for mahjong lessons jumped 819 percent in one year on Yelp, which declared mahjong a top trend in 2026. "Mahjong is everywhere," Vogue magazine announced earlier this year.

This traditional Chinese game is fun to play and is a great way to spend time with others. It could also help support your brain health, according to new research. Here’s a closer look at why and how to get started.

Mahjong is a brain workout

American mahjong, which is similar to Chinese mahjong with slightly different rules, is most popular in the United States. It is played with 152 tiles containing numbers and symbols. Players draw and discard tiles until someone comes up with a winning combination. The complexity of the game can feel overwhelming for newbies, but sticking with it is a great way to engage your brain.

“[You] need attention and concentration to be able to recognize patterns,” says Dr. Manisha Parulekar, co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center and associate professor at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey. Matching tiles requires logical thinking and problem-solving skills “and, of course, it’s a strategy game, so that draws on [your] executive function,” Parulekar says.

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Mahjong players had significantly better scores on some measures of cognitive performance than non-players in a study that analyzed data from 7,535 adults, average age 82, published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2024.

And a research review published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease in 2024 found evidence that playing mahjong can improve short-term memory and ease symptoms of depression; it was also associated with better hand-eye coordination. Parulekar, who enjoys playing strategy games but hasn't tried mahjong yet, says she’s now actively looking into playing, “especially after all these studies.”

Mahjong encourages socializing

Most of the time, a game of mahjong is played with four people around a table. “You’re looking at people, you’re interacting, you’re talking, and that’s causing continuous stimulation for your brain,” explains Parulekar. “It's active engagement.”

The chitchat that happens during a game can help you get to know new people and deepen existing friendships. “It’s a very low-stakes environment; people are there to have fun,” Parulekar says. Socializing is so essential for mental health that it’s one of Staying Sharp’s six pillars of brain health.

Leagues and clubs are popping up everywhere

Ready to get in on the action? Check your local senior center, library or YMCA for classes or mahjong leagues. A local mahjong teacher can also connect you with an upcoming class, or they may offer private lessons if you can assemble your own group of curious players (usually 3 to 8 people). Mahjong enthusiast site Oh My Mahjong has a searchable database of instructors.