Mahjong clubs see surge in popularity among younger adults

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In an era dominated by social media and endless scrolling, a growing number of young adults are turning to board games and tabletop activities, including Mahjong and Catan.

One group experiencing that growth is the Philly Mah-jawns Mahjong club, which has seen its number of newcomers double over the past year.

Mike Lee, president of the Philly Mah-jawn Mahjong club, said attendance at the group's weekly meetups has increased significantly.

"At our weekly meetups at the board game cafes, we would usually see anywhere from 20 to 25 people a week, and now we're regularly seeing 50, 55," he said.

The club opened its space in Old City in 2025, though Lee said the organization has been active since 2019.

Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and luck played with tiles. Typically played by four people, the game involves building a hand of matching sets.

Interest in the game appears to be expanding nationwide. According to Yelp, searches for Mahjong clubs have increased more than 4,400% year over year across the country.

More than 40% of young adults have played the game.

Lee said perceptions of Mahjong have evolved as more younger players share their experiences online.

"Some people think that, you know, oh, my mom plays it, my grandma plays it, is it actually a fun game? But they start seeing... these videos and pictures of younger folks trying it, and it seems like they have a lot of fun, so they also want to experience it at least once," Lee said.

As participation grows and new players discover the game, Mahjong continues to attract interest well beyond its traditional reputation, drawing younger adults to clubs and meetups across the country.