Overview
A random tile is removed from the Mountain (one of the four in the center of the bottom layer) and placed face down to start the Wall (any one of its three duplicates will be the Joker's mystery partner - this pair completes the Wall on top of the starting tile). The Joker replaces this random tile in the Mountain.
Four random 'Loose' tiles are placed in two stacks on the right side and are used for Changing Seasons (current Season bone counter is below the Loose tiles).
Tile removal directions are randomly set. The Wind Disc of the 'Prevailing Wind' (the Dragon's Eye) is placed near the top right side. You can change the Prevailing Wind with one of the Special Moves.
The black 'pupil' of the Dragon's Eye reminds you of the current tile removal directions which are the Prevailing Wind and its opposite.
In the Mountain, select (single tap) matching pairs of free tiles. One is discarded and one is added to the Wall unless it is a Dragon pair, then both are discarded. (Note: a Dragon could be the Joker's mystery partner. If so, one extra pair of tiles will remain in the Mountain when the Wall is completed.)
After selecting the first tile in the Mountain, invalid tiles in the Wall for Special Moves are dimmed.
Free tiles can slide one space in either of the tile removal directions, the Prevailing Wind or its opposite - North/South (up/down) or East/West (right/left). Blocked tiles and non-current Seasons are dimmed. The Joker is dimmed until it is time to complete the Wall and it is free.
Stacks in the Wall alternate from one tile to two (Towers). The first tile in the Wall (the Joker's mystery partner, face down) is the bottom of a Tower, but that Tower's top tile is added last (the Joker) to win the game.
Dragons are highlighted orange, Seasons cyan, and others green. If you are about to remove a Shuffle/Wind tile into the bottom of a Tower, these Special Moves tiles are highlighted yellow (as in CAUTION - this Special Move tile will be covered with the next tile in the Wall).
Season tiles are changed (not matched) by selecting the current free Season tile, then one of the Loose tiles from the two stacks inside the Wall (above the current Season bone counter). The Loose tile replaces the discarded Season tile.
The first Season is your choice of any free Season tile (Season bone counter will be 'Pick Season'). Thereafter they are changed in natural order (and you can select just the Loose tile first).
If the current Season is not free, the Loose tiles are dimmed and the Season bone counter is placed on top of them.
Whenever the Joker is uncovered, any remaining Loose tile stacks are turned face down (but still available).
Shuffle and Wind tiles (North/South & East/West) are placed face up in the Wall and provide special moves that may free up additional tiles. There are six possible (two Shuffles and four Winds), but you can only use three per game. The bone counter below the Dragon's Eye shows how many remain. After your third special move, Shuffle and Wind tiles removed from the Mountain are placed face down in the Wall. Those already in the Wall will be turned face down.
When a Special Moves tile is used it is discarded. If this creates a gap in the Wall, the tile from the end to which tiles are added (the Dragon's Tail) is placed in the gap, known as 'Mending the Wall'.
The Special Moves
Shuffle Mountain Tiles by selecting a Shuffle tile in the Wall. Tiles are mixed and then restacked in same arrangement.
Change Prevailing Wind by selecting a Wind tile in the Wall. Selecting North or South changes free tile removal directions to up/down, selecting East or West changes to right/left.
Slide Mountain Tile to an adjacent and lower stack (or empty space) by selecting the Mountain tile first, then selecting the Wind tile in the Wall that matches the direction you want to slide the Mountain tile.
You cannot slide beyond the original base of the Mountain. After selecting the first tile in the Mountain, invalid Wind tiles in the Wall are dimmed.
Try to remove tiles from the tallest stacks early.
Try to remove Shuffle/Wind tiles between or on top of Towers (two tile stacks) to make Special Moves with.
When multiple pairs of the same tile are free, remove the pair that frees the most tiles.
Change as many Seasons as you can before uncovering the Joker (one of the four tiles in the center of the bottom layer).
When no more free pairs are available, use the special moves Shuffle Mountain Tiles or Change Prevailing Wind to free tiles.
When close to completing the Wall, try to get the remaining stacks down to one tile so you can easily deduce the Joker's mystery partner. This is when the special move Slide Mountain Tile can help.
Tap the background three times for the pop-up game menu, from which you can:
Undo (last) Move (swipe left)
Change Tile Set
Change Oriental Painting / Background Color
Turn Sound Effects On/Off
Start (current game) Over
New Game
Each swipe right shows next free pair. Each swipe left will undo previous moves. Undoing moves (and wrongly guessing the Joker's mystery partner) will not earn the Old Master's praise.
Each swipe up increases the opacity of paintings. Each swipe down decreases the opacity. An alert will sound when reaching opacity limits.
Decreasing the opacity to a solid color will make the Change Oriental Painting menu item switch to Change Background Color. You can then cycle through solid colors. Tinted paintings can result with various opacities and colors.
Use the Settings app (look for MahjongWall) to set whether or not to show popup Help while learning the game, use random tile sets and/or oriental paintings with new games, and have sound effects default to on/off when MahjongWall launches.
Removing all tiles from the Mountain may not be necessary to complete the Wall. It depends on how many Special Moves you make, if you change all the Seasons, and whether or not the Joker's mystery partner is a Dragon (which will leave an extra pair in the Mountain).
The Chinese call their Great Wall the Sleeping Dragon. Hence, the game's wind discs (and icons) are the Dragon's Eyes and the Wall's 'live' end to which tiles are added is the Dragon's Tail.
Mahjong Wall for the iPhone/iPod touch is based on my original Mah Jongg Wall game for desktop computers (a.k.a. Mah Jongg Magic). I hope you like this version.
©2009 Russell Wilson
All Rights Reserved
www.rwDiversions.com
(royalty free images & audio)
Oriental Paintings
Great Works of Art: The Orient
©1995-2009 Corel Corporation
www.corel.com
Winning Game Theme
NASH Music Library, CD-712
©1995-2009 Sound Works Nash Studio, Inc.
www.nash.jp
Sound Effects
SoundSnap
©2009 {sound uploader}
www.soundsnap.com