This is the main developer and designer of Aotenjo, NonToxicEel, and I’m here to answer some questions you might have:
Q: Can we play Seven Pairs or Thirteen Orphans?
A: Yes, it's possible. Apart from the initial deck, Green Mahjong, the second deck has more available Patterns and special play modes for Seven Pairs and Thirteen Orphans. More special tile patterns and play modes are still under development. Feel free to join the Discord Channel and urge us to update!
Q: Why does there need to be a Pair for every hand?
A: The reason for needing the Pair in the game is that I believe the essence of Mahjong lies in the Pair (also known as the "Head" or "Eyes"). From the Five-Tiles Mahjong to Taiwanese Mahjong (17 tiles), mahjong's gameplay generally requires some number of Sets plus the Pair. Therefore, if a hand lacks the Pair, it is not a valid Mahjong hand, and the Patterns cannot be assessed.
Q: Why does it resemble Balatro so much?
A: The game indeed draws inspiration from many card-based rogue-like games such as Balatro, Luck be a Landlord, Monster Train, and Slay the Spire, and I do admire the scoring-based challenge game loop created by Balatro.
However, I believe Aotenjo has the potential to do even better, as it is rooted in the centuries-old traditional game of Mahjong. The richness and beauty of Mahjong tile patterns are, in my opinion, unmatched by other card games. I want to create a game that not only appeals to mahjong players but also introduces and endears non-mahjong players to the game.
Q: More Accessibility and Multi-platform support?
A: We acknowledge that currently the game has issues about accessibility. We are working on several angles to help non-Mahjong players to understand the mechanism of Aotenjo, which includes more tooltips on terminologies, an in-game dictionary and interactive explanations. We are adding a numeral indicator for all the tiles as well, to help players who are not familiar with Mahjong Tiles to have a firmer grasp on the game.
We also heard a lot from Linux and OS X users. Yes, the game will be available on those systems, but it will take time due to a lack of human resources. Controller support is considered, but its priority might not be as high.
Q: What new content can we expect in the full version?
A: There is a lot! First and foremost are new decks: Bamboo Mahjong (with Dora Tiles) and Rainbow Mahjong (with Flower Tiles). Bamboo Mahjong will feature Japanese terminology and more traditional Japanese Pattern, such as Golden Gate Bridge, Benikujaku, and Kokuiisou. Various flower tiles act like special tiles drawn and played immediately, offering unique passive effects in the game. We also have numerous new mechanisms planned, such as the Voided Suit Mechanism, Foreknowledge Mechanism, and more.
Next steps to that are events. We have designed dozens of different events that can bring unexpected changes during gameplay, including acquiring special artifacts, unique tile augments, or instantly losing half of the tiles in the Wall...
Following that are the Puzzle Mode and Weekly Challenges. In normal mode, we might not have found the optimal solution to activate the highest-scoring patterns... But in Puzzle Mode, the goal of each round is to find how to play the tiles to achieve the highest score and overcome one challenge after another!
Finally, there’s the Creative Workshop! Yes! I am a Minecraft modder! Naturally, my game must support mods and texture packs! Custom tile effects, bosses, custom artifacts, quests, skins... whatever you can think of, I've set up interfaces similar to Forge for it!
If you have any questions, bugs, or feedback, feel free to join the Discord Channel.