Mahjong Ways 2 review
Mahjong Ways 2 is PG Soft’s 2020 follow-up to one of its best-known Asian-themed slots. The studio launched it as the second game in the popular Mahjong Ways line and kept the same ingredients: mahjong tiles instead of standard symbols, cascades, golden tiles that turn Wild and a multiplier that climbs with every win in a chain. The board is wider than the original’s and offers 2,000 ways to win. RTP is 96.95%, and PG Soft’s own data lists the maximum win as 100,000x the bet. The one idea to take into the first spin: chains of consecutive wins matter far more here than any single big combination.
Tiles, ways and golden symbols
PG Soft describes the layout as five reels of four rows, with an extra row on each of reels 2, 3 and 4. Those extra rows produce a 4-5-5-5-4 board with 23 positions. Mahjong tiles serve as symbols; the studio’s announcement calls the game China’s national chess game and invites players to experience its endless charm. Behind the styling, two elements deserve your attention from the first spin: the golden tiles on the middle reels and the multiplier ladder over the grid.
Paylines play no part. A tile pays when it lands on neighbouring reels starting with reel 1, in any row. Multiply the reel heights to get the ways: 4 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 4 = 2,000. If a tile sits once on reel 1, twice on reel 2 and once on reel 3, the three of a kind counts 1 x 2 x 1 = 2 times.
For a particular combination, multiply copy counts: one tile, two and one on the first three reels give two ways. Wilds add to matching copies. Two tiles on reel one, one on reel two and a tile plus Wild on reel three give four ways. Extra middle-reel height changes possible layouts without establishing match frequency or value absent symbol weights.
Golden versions of regular tiles can land on reels 2, 3 and 4. A golden tile pays exactly like its plain version; the difference comes afterwards. If it takes part in a win, it turns Wild after the cascade instead of disappearing.
A quick base-game example: a golden tile on reel 2 joins a three of a kind with matching tiles on reels 1 and 3. The win pays and the tiles clear, but the golden one leaves a Wild behind. If suitable tiles then fall onto reels 1 and 3, that Wild bridges a new three of a kind, now paid at x2. So the mechanic stretches chains: a win with a golden tile both pays and leaves a head start for the next, more valuable cascade. Gold never lands on the outer reels, and that placement matters, because a Wild on reel 2 or 4 easily links the start of a combination to its end.
The cascade ladder and free spins
After every win the paying tiles are cleared, new ones drop in and the chain continues as long as fresh matches appear. The ladder over the reels climbs one step with each winning cascade and resets when the chain ends.
| Winning cascade in the chain | Multiplier, regular spins | Multiplier, free spins |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | x1 | x2 |
| 2nd | x2 | x4 |
| 3rd | x3 | x6 |
| 4th and later | x5 | x10 |
Each step applies to its own cascade payout rather than the sum of prior cascades. Illustrative base values of 0.4, 0.6, 0.3, 1.5 and 0.4 over five cascades pay 0.4 + 1.2 + 0.9 + 7.5 + 2 = 12. The same set with the doubled free-spin ladder pays 24. Denominations are invented; the order and multipliers explain arithmetic rather than typical outcomes.
Three scatters award ten free spins and further scatters can extend the round; the extra-spin amount is unspecified. All ordinary symbols on reel three become golden except Wilds and scatters, rather than the entire 2–4 block. A winning golden tile becomes Wild, but a combination using an existing Wild may contain no new golden tile there. A new Wild therefore cannot be promised after every win. Each spin restarts at 2x; 10x does not persist across spins.
Maths and the original
96.95% is the only listed RTP, which does not establish the absence of other configurations at every operator. Volatility is medium and stakes 0.2–100. PG Soft data lists a 100,000x maximum; hit and bonus rates, cap probability and termination at it are unknown. No buy or raised-stake mode is provided. The ceiling does not establish an exclusive route through a long bonus cascade.
The original Mahjong Ways uses 5×4 and 1,024 ways, awarding twelve free spins for three scatters and two more per additional scatter. It lists 96.92% RTP, a 25,000x maximum and a bonus multiplier up to 10x. Initial download is 9 MB versus 13.4 MB for part two. Starting spin count does not establish total expected round length with extensions or its return.
Fortune Tiger has 96.81% RTP and a 2,500x ceiling, while Fortune Ox lists 96.75% and 2,000x. These use different features, and a lower maximum does not measure frequency. Other games appear on the PG Soft page.
