THE 90s LAB redesigns the game of mahjong using simplified shapes and symbols

THE 90s LAB has given mahjong a sleek, contemporary update with this redesign called ‘MACHILL’. dating back to the late 1800s, mahjong is a tile-based game that was first developed in provinces near shanghai. by creating a new stylized aesthetic, the taiwanese studio hopes to bring the traditional game to global audiences. 

images courtesy of THE 90s LAB

for this new image of mahjong, THE 90s LAB has totally redesigned the fonts, symbols, patterns and colors of all the 42 tiles. the designers created an exclusive standard font for the chinese characters, simplified the dots and bamboo symbols, and stylized the bird and flowers. as well as the traditional color scheme – red, green and black -, players can also choose from an additional minimalist color scheme of gray and blue. 

in addition to the tiles, the design team also carefully considered the merchandise and packaging. the chic metal case is made from SPCC (cold rolled steel) and it features a logo on the lid, which is concave to echo the engraved mahjong tiles. inside, the case is covered with a special EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) lining. finger holes have also been specially added to the lining to allow the cases to be picked up and put down more easily. the MACHILL logo is laser engraved on the upper left corner of the lining.

traditional wind dice are made from plastic or acrylic. in this case, MACHILL’s wind die is made of metal alloy with an antique silver-plated surface, in order to increase its weight and enhance its texture. dot marks, which function similarly to the scale, have been added to the mahjong rulers. those marks help players take tiles faster. as for the material, the rulers are made of acrylic. and the thickness of them has been increased from 3.5mm to 5mm, making them handier and more durable.

project info:

project name: MACHILL

design: THE 90s LAB