Mahjong Competitions is a tile-matching game that offers three main game options (Challenge, Free Game and Duel) and an extra Daily game. The player earns levels of experience and rewards by removing tiles stacked in patterns from a tabletop.�
The player can only pair identical tiles. Before and during play, they can change the setting and tiles to match their personal tastes via buttons near the top-left corner. They can turn on and off bokeh-style cherry blossoms that float through the air, modify the colors and textures of the tabletop and tiles, and swap between icons on the tile faces. As they progress through new levels, they unlock new options and additional features.
With the Challenge mode, the player must remove a high number of tiles in a complex pattern from the tabletop as quickly as possible to beat the time of other online players. The game offers a new competition season at the start of every month. The player can also review the top five players via a gold trophy button. With Free Game, a version of classic free play, the player selects one of three tile sizes (Small, Medium or Big) and then plays at their own pace. With Duel, they wait for an opponent to appear and then attempt to beat the other player.
Mahjong Competitions has a white lightbulb icon in the upper-right area that allows the player to receive two free hints. When they use it, the game highlights a pair of identical tiles with flashing yellow outlines.