In a gaming field dominated by shooters and fantasy RPGs, it’s a big surprise to see a mahjong game with anime girls breaking into Steam’s top charts – but that’s exactly what Mahjong Soul has done.
While the game barely made a ripple among English-speaking players, it’s exploded across all of Asia. If you’re curious about this trend or want to learn Mahjong strategies better, Mahjong365 online offers another platform focused on competitive play with easier access.
Mahjong Soul combines classic Japanese riichi mahjong with anime aesthetics and a gacha system. You can compete in multiplayer matches, rank up, and unlock characters through random pulls.
The gacha doesn’t impact gameplay, it’s all cosmetic, but free character pulls are rare. Players looking to collect more characters usually end up spending money, although it’s not required to enjoy the game’s true experience.
The numbers show us just how massive Mahjong Soul has become over the years, mainly outside the West. On Steam, the English version peaked at just 889 players, placing it far down the all-time rankings.
But the Chinese international version tells a different story. It peaked at over 39,000 players in 2024 and regularly hits daily highs of around 16,700. So that level of activity consistently keeps it in Steam’s top 100 games during peak Asian hours, surpassing thousands of other titles.
According to player data from MajSoul Stats, 45% of Mahjong Soul’s audience comes from China and 51% from Japan. English-speaking players account for just over 3%.
The game’s developer, Catfood Studio, originally released it in China in 2018, then expanded globally the following year. Despite the flood of new games hitting the market every month, Mahjong Soul has managed to stay relevant for nearly seven years, which is a rare feat for a niche title.
It’s not the only anime mahjong crossover pulling players in. Other games such as “Mahjong Pretty Girls Battle” and spin-offs based on the “Saki” anime series, have claimed loyal followings, primarily in Japan.
Such games keep mahjong alive for younger generations by adding character-based hooks without dumbing down the gameplay.
One reason Mahjong Soul works so well is that it respects the true complexity of riichi mahjong. It’s not just a colorful wrapper – the strategy remains intact, making it rewarding for all those willing to learn.
At the same time, the anime characters, voice acting, and flashy effects make the experience feel less intimidating to beginners. A good balance between serious play and accessible style proves to us a wider trend across all Asian gaming markets.
Of course, the gacha side isn’t for everyone. Players have pointed out that if you want to collect all the characters, you’ll likely need to spend.
Free pulls are rare, and the gacha rates aren’t that generous. Still, because the gacha is strictly cosmetic, it hasn’t sparked the same backlash seen in other games.
Mahjong Soul’s unexpected success shows how a niche title, when executed well, can find a massive global audience. Even without dominating Western charts, it proves there’s still plenty of room for traditional games, especially when wrapped in something as popular as anime.