Quest for Cathay Kingdom Mah Jong Reviews

This is a very complete Mah-jong like game! it's uses combinations of Mah Jong board game with puzzle match-3, bets and wildcards with a rich focus on story! Recommended for the fans of the genre!

[b]disclaimer:[/b] I helped with testing off-steam builds before release but bought my own copy when it came out. [b]quest for cathay kingdom[/b] is a unique take on the usual mahjong formula. it's based on the [i]rivers[/i] variant, something [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/1161360/]shisensho solitaire[/url] does exceptionally well on steam, but in this game [b]only the top tiles are available[/b]. you can, however, [b]switch adjacent tiles[/b] (right click), and match-3 elements let you [b]remove 3 or 4 tiles in a straight line even if they're not on top[/b], as long as they're the same suit, in sequence, etc. double-click the first and the last to do so, possible combinations are described in the menu. levels start with a [b]limited number of moves[/b], running out means game over, but [b]only switching tiles counts and extra moves are awarded[/b] for certain things. the goal is to have fewer tiles left than the number of columns, so if the board is 9x6, the level ends once you have 8 tiles left. there's a counter for remaining pieces, but [b]the game doesn't indicate if there are no valid moves[/b], you have to 'declare defeat' when you reach this conclusion by yourself. [b]no hint, undo or shuffle buttons either[/b], but other mechanics include [b]betting coins earned from levels[/b]. it's only possible during the first 90 seconds after starting a level, that's the only time the clock is relevant and you can click it anytime to turn it off. [b]coins are used to buy specials (joker tiles) and moves[/b] and betting can increase your money faster. moves can also be sold for coins and all this and more is explained before certain levels. [b]4 game modes[/b] are available. the [u]cathay[/u] variant with all the bells and whistles can be played with or without a story (cutscenes are skippable), [u]waterfall[/u] does away with everything but switching tiles, so just match tiles from the top, and [u]match & sequence[/u] only allows removing a sequence of tiles next to each other, but has coins and specials. [b]the story consists of 16 levels[/b], increasing in size and difficulty. doesn't sound like much but you probably won't breeze through all of them on the first try. [b]the other game modes have 10 levels each[/b], but of course tile placement is random and level select lets you replay unlocked stages, so it acts more like a size setting than anything. the game also creates save files to go back to, which I find completely unnecessary, that's what the level select screen is for. graphics are fine, there's a light and dark mode for the tiles, audio is fitting, some really nice tracks to listen to, but [b]the tutorial font is a bit hard to read[/b] and the [b]pop-ups for the dev's previous game and newsletter are really annoying[/b]. they should put both images in the corner instead of constantly moving them on and off the screen. further settings include separate volumes, windowed mode with a resizable window, some languages and story text size. I like mahjong (the matching variety anyway, never played the more social variant) and I like how this game mixes things up and [b]provides a unique but often frustratingly difficult experience at a low price[/b]. worth checking out if you're not looking for something casual, though nothing's stopping anybody from playing easier early levels over and over.