Mahjong Makes a Comeback: A Centuries-Old Tile Game is Bringing Together a New Generation of Players Seeking Connection and Community

On a dark, damp March evening, the bright, welcoming Illume Books in Newburyport was filled with laughter, the clacking of tiles being shuffled, and the familiar calls of “bams, dots, and cracks.” All three rooms of the Market Square bookstore were occupied by tables of four players, each set with colorful tiles, racks, mats, shufflers, and dice—the essential components of mahjong (also spelled Mah Jongg). Looking for a new hobby that doubled as a social outing, I found myself at an Illume Mahjong Club Play Night—an introduction to one of the fastest-growing game trends. According to the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL), the rummyl

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Mahjong Makes a Comeback: A Centuries-Old Tile Game is Bringing Together a New Generation of Players Seeking Connection and Community

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