[h1]A cozy, relaxing mahjong solitaire game for destressing. ^^[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Lofi Mahjong[/i] is a cozy, mahjong solitaire game developed and published by Gossiam Games. When you start up the game, you can choose to play any one of 40 levels, and the objective is simple. Match mahjong tiles to clear the board. You're given an unlimited number of hints, shuffles, and undo functions. Each level indicates how many possible moves you can make as well as the number of tiles left to clear. Also, you can change the photographic background as well as the color of the mahjong tiles. Music and cat sound effects can be turned on or off freely, and you can choose to play either in windowed (with a couple of different screen resolutions) or full screen mode. Steam achievements are present, but they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "Steam is learning about this game".
[h2]Review[/h2]
This game initially got on my radar after I read a friend's review about it, so I decided to give the developer a follow on social media. Then I was reached out about possibly reviewing the game, and as I enjoy a fun mahjong solitaire game, I definitely wanted to give this a try. Also, I admit that I wanted to vary up my gaming for a bit. XD
[h3]Gameplay[/h3]
There isn't really a story here, but it's the gameplay that's the main focus. [i]Lofi Mahjong[/i] plays like your typical mahjong solitaire game, so it doesn't bring anything new to the table. Even though this doesn't bother me (if it isn't broken, there's no reason to fix it lol), I can understand if others want something new. With the usual gameplay functions, such as the hint and shuffle features, it's very doable to complete all of the levels. They're not timed, so you can take as long as you wish to complete them. Of course, you can choose to restart the level although I never had to do so. I like that both windowed and full screen modes are available since I like to multi-task in windowed mode. Music and sound effects can be adjusted in the game, and all achievements are obtainable. The only ones that might be slightly annoying to get are those that are based on how long you play a level, particularly the one for playing over 2 hours. Still, I've seen way worse.
[h3]Art and Music[/h3]
As for the art, I like the photographic backgrounds in the levels. Although each level shows the same background, you can easily change the background, but you have to do this every time you start another level. In addition, you can change the color of the mahjong tiles and there are several options. Personally, I'm a fan of the blue ones since I find blue to be a soothing, calming color. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a screenshot of a level since I would have loved to share one of my favorite backgrounds.
In regards to the music, there are several tracks and they all evoke that lofi, calming vibe. It felt fun to play the levels, and it was relaxing, too. All the tracks are instrumental in nature. Also, whenever you click on a mahjong tile or whatnot, a cute meowing sound is made even though there are no visual depictions of cats in this game. Of course, you can choose to turn off the music and/or meowing sound, but I found it more relaxing to have them on.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Lofi Mahjong[/i]? If you're a fan of solitaire games, especially of the mahjong variety, you like to play games that'll make you feel at ease, and/or you enjoy earning Steam achievements (I understand that there are plenty out there who do), then this is totally worth checking out. At the asking price, it's a good deal, and you can obtain all of the achievements in a reasonable amount of time. (It took me around 5 hours at the time of this review.) You can choose to wait for a sale, and it's in a Steam bundle.
Finally, I'd like to give a thank you to Gossiam Games for the review key. [i]Lofi Mahjong[/i] is a very fun mahjong solitaire game and I love that it has a cozy vibe to it, too. ^^
[quote]For more detailed, fully complete, high quality reviews like this, please follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url], prioritizing heart and soul always. ^^[/quote]
