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Four Winds Mah Jong
Also called Four Winds; 4Winds; Lagarto Four Winds
Online shop (Windows download). Publisher Lagarto. Postal HQ on the v.2 order form: Vuorenpeikontie 5 A 112, FI-00820 Helsinki, Finland.
Category: Home games Also called: Four Winds; 4Winds; Lagarto Four Winds Last checked: 2026-09-02
What it is
Four Winds Mah Jong is a first-party Windows program for four-player mahjong at home: you play offline against three computer opponents, or on a local network with other people. It is not the solitaire / tile-matching game that also uses the word mahjong. The official store and product pages say it was first released in 1997; the current desktop build is version 2.24 (patch dated August 20, 2026). Publisher: Lagarto.
Who it’s for
Players who want a home computer table that can switch among Chinese, Japanese (including riichi), Taiwanese, Korean, classical/modern American, Australian, and several European rule presets — without sitting a live internet server. Not for National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card play, and not for solitaire matching.
Why it’s listed
A still-updated, first-party home-play program with a live license shop and an explicit “not solitaire” label is a different slot from Eight Bam (NMJL practice), I Love Mahj (American online tables), and Mahjong Time (internet 4-player).
- Store About page: sells full and upgrade licenses (optional CD-ROM add-on is described there as a store SKU; the Purchase page says the game is no longer available on CD-ROM). Play is offline vs three computer adversaries, or up to three human players on a LAN. “Multiplayer games on the Internet are theoretically possible but unpractical due to lack of server.” Over 20 rule variants. Current version 2.24, released on August 20, 2026.
- Homepage fetched today: Version 2.24; “Order Online!”; footer © 1996–2026 Lagarto.
- Introduction page: 2.24 patch (August 20, 2026) is for registered 2.x users; compatible with Windows 8.1, 10 (not Windows 10 S), and 11. Notes EMA Riichi as a rule preset; 12 themes and alternative tile sets in the full version; Theme Editor; CrossOver / Whisky / Winlator notes for macOS, Linux, and Android (official support remains Windows desktop).
- Features / Rules page: over 20 presets covering classical and modern Chinese (Hong Kong Old Style, New Style, Chinese Official), classical and modern Japanese (Ari-Ari), classical and modern American (but NOT the NMJL rules), Australian, British, French, German, Dutch, Italian, plus Zung Jung, WMPA, IMS, MMM, Korean, and 12-tile / 16-tile Taiwanese. Japanese options include Dora and customizable riichi; American options include Charleston, 4 or 8 jokers, and a pung-hand kitty. Scoring engine: 300+ patterns; guided tour plus a separate tutorial and the Four Winds Knowledge Base.
- Product page (Version 2 Full License): human player plus three computer types (Beginner, Defensive, Expert, Limitmaker); LAN or direct-cable multiplayer, up to four humans and 10 spectators. License: one user on multiple computers, or several users on one computer; covers all future 2.x versions. Download-only; registration emailed, usually within 24 hours.
- Store prices that day: Full License 30,00 €; Upgrade License 15,00 €. Purchase page still quotes PayPal EUR 30 (about USD 32.60) for a new license. Evaluation version is offered to test installability; the page says they do not refund on the ground that the game will not install.
- System Info page: Windows 95 through Windows 11 as a desktop app; Windows 10 S must be upgraded first. About 10 MB minimum disk, ~140 MB for the full install with tutorial and 24-bit themes.
Prices above are what the official shop showed on the check date. They can change.
Official URL
Store: https://www.4windsmj.com/store/
About the store: https://www.4windsmj.com/store/about/
Purchase: https://www.4windsmj.com/purchase.htm
Introduction: https://www.4windsmj.com/intro.htm
Location
Online shop (Windows download / emailed registration). Publisher Lagarto. The official v.2 order form PDF (https://www.4windsmj.com/4w2order.pdf) prints a postal HQ: Vuorenpeikontie 5 A 112, FI-00820 Helsinki, Finland, plus sales@4windsmj.com and tel/fax +358-9-759 40 400. Support page says replies often come from lagarto.fi or kolumbus.fi, not necessarily from 4windsmj.com. No public storefront.
Notes
- Four-player mahjong on a home PC. Not solitaire. Chinese, Japanese/riichi, Taiwanese, Korean, European, Australian, and non-NMJL American presets are in the official rules list. NMJL American Mah Jongg is explicitly excluded.
- Officially Windows desktop only (95 through 11, except Windows 10 S). Other platforms are unofficial (Wine/CrossOver, VMs, or streaming).
- LAN play on current Windows 10/11 may need extra DirectPlay/IPX work; the publisher documents that on the store. There is no public internet game server.
- Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.
FAQ
Q: Is Four Winds the solitaire matching game?
A: No. The store About page and the Version 2 product page both say it is the four-player Chinese-origin board game, played against three computer opponents or on a LAN — “nothing to do with the popular solitaire game.”
Q: Can I play National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) American Mah Jongg here?
A: No. The Features / Rules page lists classical and modern American presets “but NOT the NMJL rules.” It does support Charleston and jokers under those non-NMJL American options.
Q: What did a license cost on 2026-09-02, and what does it run on?
A: The official store listed 30,00 € for a full Version 2 license and 15,00 € for an upgrade. The Purchase page quoted EUR 30 via PayPal (about USD 32.60). Intro and System Info pages say Windows 95 through Windows 11 as a desktop app; Windows 10 S is not supported unless upgraded.