Mahjong Destiny

Ryan George Style Pitch Meeting:

Publisher:
So, you have a mahjong puzzle game for me?

Game Designer:
Yes, sir, I do! But also, it’s a deeply emotional and spiritual journey about love and destiny!

Publisher:
Oh, so is it, like, a visual novel with puzzle mechanics?

Game Designer:
Nope, it’s just mahjong!

Publisher:
Oh… okay.

Game Designer:
But also a soul-searching odyssey!

Publisher:
Right, right, but mostly mahjong?

Game Designer:
Almost exclusively!

Publisher:
Oh, wow wow wow… wow. Okay, so what’s the gameplay like?

Game Designer:
You click tiles! If you find matching ones, they go away!

Publisher:
That sounds like basic mahjong.

Game Designer:
It is! But we also have an infinite shuffle button, so you can never really lose!

Publisher:
Oh! So there’s no challenge whatsoever?

Game Designer:
Super easy, barely an inconvenience!

Publisher:
Oh, really?

Game Designer:
Yeah, the shuffle lets you fix any mistake instantly! You can just click random tiles and eventually win!

Publisher:
So the puzzles are meaningless?

Game Designer:
Emotionally meaningful! But mechanically meaningless, yes.

Publisher:
Huh. And what’s the story about?

Game Designer:
Oh, it’s incredibly deep. You play as a mysterious woman on a journey to find her lost love.

Publisher:
Oh, that’s kind of sweet. So how does that tie into the gameplay?

Game Designer:
It doesn’t!

Publisher:
Oh.

Game Designer:
Yeah, she just plays mahjong until she meets him.

Publisher:
So, like, does solving puzzles unlock clues about her past?

Game Designer:
Nope!

Publisher:
Any character development?

Game Designer:
Not even a little bit!

Publisher:
…Does anything interesting happen?

Game Designer:
A monk says some vaguely poetic things every now and then.

Publisher:
Oh, so do his riddles at least hint at the woman’s journey?

Game Designer:
Not really! It’s mostly stuff about wind, fate, and tile metaphors.

Publisher:
So, just fancy-sounding nonsense?

Game Designer:
You know it!

Publisher:
And the ending?

Game Designer:
Oh, you’re gonna love this. After hours of playing mahjong, she finally finds her lover.

Publisher:
Oh! Okay, and what happens?

Game Designer:
They look at each other.

Publisher:
Right… and?

Game Designer:
Roll credits!

Publisher:
…That’s it?

Game Designer:
That’s it!

Publisher:
So no big emotional payoff?

Game Designer:
Nope! Just mahjong and staring!

Publisher:
…Oh my god.

Game Designer:
Now, the backgrounds are stunning, though!

Publisher:
Okay, yeah, but there’s nothing else?

Game Designer:
Nope! But the main character’s animations are really… extra.

Publisher:
What do you mean?

Game Designer:
Oh, she moves around a LOT. Like, her hair flows dramatically, her clothes flutter in the wind, and her breathing is… noticeable.

Publisher:
Noticeable?

Game Designer:
Oh yeah, it’s very exaggerated!

Publisher:
…Why?

Game Designer:
Because!

Publisher:
…Fair enough.

Game Designer:
Also, monks love speaking in riddles that don’t mean anything!

Publisher:
Right, right, gotta have fancy gibberish.

Game Designer:
And the whole game is one big metaphor!

Publisher:
A metaphor for what?

Game Designer:
Yes.

Publisher:
…What?

Game Designer:
What?

Publisher:
Well, okay then!

Game Designer:
Great!

Publisher:
So, uh, who is this game for, exactly?

Game Designer:
Oh, definitely people who love beautiful backgrounds, don’t care about challenge, and want vague poetry in their mahjong.

Publisher:
That’s… a very specific audience.

Game Designer:
And they’ll be very happy!

Publisher:
Okay! So, final question—does the game actually make you feel something?

Game Designer:
Oh, absolutely!

Publisher:
What does it make you feel?

Game Designer:
Bored.

Publisher:
Oh my god.

[END]

[hr]

Pokémon Plays Mahjong Destiny

[The scene opens in Delia Ketchum’s living room. A bunch of familiar faces are gathered around the TV: Ash, Misty, May, Brock, Jessie, James, Meowth, Professor Oak, Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, and Misty’s sisters.]
Ash:

Alright! Time to play this awesome new game, Mahjong Destiny!
Misty:

Wait… why are we playing mahjong?
May:

Yeah, I thought this was an adventure game.
Brock:

Apparently, it’s a deep emotional journey about love and destiny!
Jessie:

Ugh, great. Another "deeply emotional story." You nerds fall for this every time.
James:

I don’t know, Jessie… destiny is kind of romantic!
Meowth:

Romantic?! I’m only interested if it involves gold coins or stealing Pikachu.
Professor Oak:

Now, now, let’s give it a chance!
[The game starts. A mysterious woman stands in a beautiful landscape.]
Ash:

Wow, the backgrounds are really nice!
Misty:

Yeah, visually stunning. Look at the leaves!
May:

Wait, why does she… breathe like that?
Brock:

Oh. Oh wow. That’s… a lot of movement.
Jessie:

Pfft! What is this, a fashion show?
James:

Well, I think she looks graceful!
Misty’s Sisters (in unison):

Faaaaabulous!
Meowth:

…So, when do we battle something?
Ash:

No battling, Meowth. It’s just mahjong.
Meowth:

Just mahjong?! I feel betrayed!
[They start a mahjong puzzle.]
Brock:

Okay, so we just… click matching tiles?
May:

That’s it?
Misty:

Is there a time limit?
Professor Oak:

Nope! But there’s an infinite shuffle button.
Ash:

…So, we can just keep clicking randomly until we win?
Officer Jenny:

That’s not a game, that’s button-mashing with extra steps.
Nurse Joy:

At least it’s relaxing?
Jessie:

Relaxing?! This is as exciting as a Snorlax nap!
James:

Or listening to Meowth tell another sob story about his past.
Meowth:

HEY! My stories are compelling!
[They complete a puzzle. A monk appears and speaks cryptically.]
Monk (in-game):

"The wind carries those who wait, but the river moves those who act."
Ash:

…What?
Misty:

Excuse me?
May:

What does that even mean?!
Brock:

I think it’s deep.
Jessie:

I think it’s nonsense.
James:

I think it means we should appreciate life.
Meowth:

I think it means they had no idea what to write!
[They continue playing. Hours pass. More mahjong. More vague monks.]
Misty:

…Wait. How long have we been playing?
May:

Like, three hours.
Brock:

Have we… done anything besides mahjong?
Professor Oak:

Nope! But look! We’re finally at the ending!
[The protagonist finally meets her lover. They stare at each other.]
Ash:

Okay, this is it! The big moment!
Misty:

Something meaningful is about to happen!
[The screen fades to black. The credits roll.]
Ash, Misty, May, Brock (in unison):

…WHAT?!
Jessie:

HAHAHAHAHA!
James:

Wait… that’s it?!
Officer Jenny:

We spent all that time… for nothing?!
Nurse Joy:

But… what about her journey?
Professor Oak:

What about the love story?!
Misty’s Sisters (in unison):

WHAT ABOUT THE DRAMA?!
Meowth:

ARE YA KIDDIN’ ME?!
Ash:

…Okay. Final thoughts?
Misty:

Visually beautiful, but EMPTY.
May:

Relaxing, but TOO EASY.
Brock:

Nice music, but NO STORY.
Jessie:

That was a colossal waste of time.
James:

I feel nothing inside.
Meowth:

This game DESTROYED my soul.
Professor Oak:

Well, I thought the monks were delightful!
Everyone:

OAK. NO.
Ash:

Okay, so, rating out of 10?
Misty:

5/10. Beautiful, but boring.
May:

4/10. No challenge at all.
Brock:

5/10. Needed more depth.
Jessie:

2/10. I hated every second of it.
James:

3/10. I expected romance. I got mahjong.
Meowth:

1/10. Never touching this again.
Professor Oak:

8/10! Very calming!
Everyone:

OAK. STOP.
[The screen fades to black as they argue. Game Over.]

[hr]

I am 32 years old.

My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and we adopted our son together. Both are now 4 years old.

When we were going through our separation, I felt lost and unhappy. I was self-destructive. One day, I was so angry with everything spiraling out of control that I punched a concrete wall in a moment of overwhelming emotion. This resulted in breaking my fifth metacarpal in my right hand—the hand I worked with, played games with, and used to carry my children to bed—the hand I desperately needed to ensure I could continue providing.

Upon learning the severity of the self-inflicted damage, I became almost suicidal. Keep in mind that just a few months before this, I was the happiest man, with no history of depression or anxiety. I had never experienced anger outbursts, nor was I the type to break down and cry, but I was in a tough situation that truly prevented me from seeing the light on the other side.

With nothing better to do, I looked for a game I could play WITH ONE HAND while recovering. Somehow, I stumbled upon this game and read some of the comments. I decided it was worth a try... I must admit I didn't beat the game, nor did I play as much as some of you. In fact, I may have played this game for only a day or two. That being said, after doing so, I had a new joy and hope for life. I managed to leave behind the pain and suffering that had been thrust upon me. I could experience the joy and happiness of other people. I relaxed for 5 ♥♥♥♥ minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.

After realizing this, I turned off the game and went back to work. My hand hurt a lot, but I was motivated. I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and became the father I needed to be at that moment, not the weak boy I was behaving like.

Today, I am close friends with the mother of my children. We don't fight, argue, or say hurtful things to each other. We are parents and friends.

Now I have 3 children. My third child is, wait, ALSO 4 YEARS OLD. The woman I am with was going through a very similar situation at the time of my separation, and we just unexpectedly stumbled into each other's lives. We have been dating for a year and are very happy together.

Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today. This silly little game helped me realize that.

Thank you.

The little bit I played was alright, and I like how they use tiles to spell messages out.

And I get that it's a Mahjong-centered game But having to do a puzzle EVERY 2-3 STEPS or so, repeating that several times to get small tidbits of the love story didn't make for a fun game, in my opinion.

Maybe if they spent more time on making the game fun and less time on bewbie physics this would be worth your time.

A very fun way for kids to learn the Mahjong game. The little girl's walk is automated, you do not control her, but she goes to each crystal and opens a new puzzle. The arrow that makes you skip the texts is in top right of the screen and it pretty transparent so you might miss it if you don't look very good and you won't be able to pass the intorduction.

A typical Mahjong game. I enjoyed it though it was really short compared to most. Very similar to Puzzles Under the Hill but a good pass time for Mahjong fans.

Easy

This is a cute game. The puzzles get more challenging as you go on, but it would be perfect for beginners to mahjong and the young. the story behind the game is a love tale, punctuated by poetry.

Note: for those who are a bit more experienced with mahjong it can get a bit tedious...

It's kinda meh. The puzzles only get more challenging in that there's more matches to be made. You can't lose. Ever.

The story is rather boring, which is a shame, because I was looking forward to it. The story is also written in poetry, which I find a little annoying.

The animations are also really irritating, especially with the monks. And sometimes, when the girl is walking from crystal to crystal, her walk cycle bugs out, so she'll walk past the crystal, then have to turn around and try to reach the crystal again.

I'd really only buy this if it's on sale or something.

I thought it was a mahjong with a real story and a character to move as in an adventure game, but it's just poetry and a girl walking a few steps automatically beetween the puzzles (which are impossible to loose)...

This puzzle based game is quite honestly relaxing and I highly suggest trying it out. We all played the Mahjong type of game in the past but this is just so peaceful to play and I think there is a storyline in the game as well. I suggest this "game".

If you enjoy Mahjong Solitare, I very much recommend this game. It's a cheap game and is great for the price.

The good:
It's enjoyable and very much what you would expect. The gameplay is how it should be, with a very fair learning curve. This is accompanied by beautifull graphics and a great sound-design.

The bad:
While the sound design is great, there seems to be some issues. Sometimes the musiccomes out of only one headphone in my headset. The orientation of the music seems to be relevant to the cameras orientation, so I think they've somehow added it as a 3D sound that gets broadcasted in stereo/surroundsound.
The UI is kinda cluncky designed. It doesn't hurt the game as such, but it's a shame when the rest of the graphics are so great.

All in all a great game with few and only minor inconveniences, that can easily be overlooked because of the price.