https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mahjong

First played in February 2022 in Nintendo's 51 Worldwide Classics collection, out of an interest in finally learning how the game is played. I have a rough sense of what I'm looking for and how strategy could emerge by keeping an eye on what your opponents are discarding and pursuing particular melds as a result, but wow I can't hold that strategy in my head yet. I'd be completely lost without the digital assistance here. I learned reading after the fact that this Riichi Mahjong is a popular Japanese variant with pretty significant changes vs “Old Hong Kong” rules.

It reminds me of cribbage in the significant advantage to the rotating dealer, and in the surprising leverage of small choices against a large amount of luck over many rounds. Neither game is elegant, exactly; instead they are unusual shapes refined and balanced by many generations of play.