Mahjong Sangokushi Engi

A grand strategy game set in ancient China's Three Kingdoms period, with all conflict resolved through games of riichi mahjong.

Overview

Mahjong Sangokushi Engi is a historical-fantasy combination turn-based strategy and riichi mahjong game developed and published by SystemSoft for PC-98 computers in Japan on March 19, 1993.

A turn-based "grand strategy" wargame from the studio behind the Tenka Touitsu and Daisenryaku series, Mahjong Sangokushi Engi is based on the historical text Sangokushi ("Records of the Three Kingdoms") and is set during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China.

Players choose from the kingdom of one of eight kingdoms and attempt to build up territorial control of the game board, with the goal of conquering all of China. Actions like preparing the player's forces are done through a traditional strategy format (similar to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series), with random events influencing the game board.

Each confrontation, however, can be resolved through rounds of four-player riichi mahjong, with the offensive outcome determined by both side's forces and the round's outcome. The mahjong part is unique for its two-on-two format, with players having to be careful not to directly win against their teammate. By building up their forces, players can use special power-ups to give them an advantage for the round.