# Mahjong Journey® vs Element Empire

The clearest difference is update cadence: Element Empire at every 3 days against Mahjong Journey®'s monthly. Mahjong Journey®'s advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong Journey® sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Element Empire sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mahjong Journey® ships an update monthly, Element Empire every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong Journey® | Element Empire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (89K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-journey-tile-match/id938207958/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **89K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 380 MB | 144 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [G5 Entertainment AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/305426797) | [Shy Guy Lab ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895567804) |

## What reviewers say

### Mahjong Journey®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-journey-tile-match/id938207958)

Embark on a global adventure matching tiles to solve hundreds of Mahjong puzzles. Discover new gameplay twists and visit famous landmarks while searching for lost parents. Unlock bonuses and optional subscriptions for enhanced gameplay.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of Mahjong layouts, Global adventure theme, Innovative gameplay twists (Shuffle, Firecracker), Collect achievements, Visit famous landmarks, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Superior Deal | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mega Deal | $1.99 | one-time |
| Array of Diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Super Deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cushion of Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hyper Deal | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |
| Special Deal | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and challenging gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and stress-relieving
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visuals
- 🧠 Mentally stimulating

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Progression gated behind in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Frustratingly difficult levels
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with updates
- 🤯 Overly complex with too many features

**Reported bugs**

- Levels not saving progress after updates
- Inability to claim daily rewards
- App crashing on launch for some users

**Requested features**

- More free boosters and power-ups
- Ability to skip difficult levels
- Clearer explanation of game mechanics
- Improved reward system for completing levels


### Element Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-empire/id6763946292)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 5 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Office 4 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Penthouse 1 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Penthouse 2 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Penthouse 4 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sailing 3 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trading 1 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trading 2 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trading 3 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trading 4 Backdrop | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong Journey® free?

Mahjong Journey® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Element Empire free?

Element Empire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Mahjong Journey® or Element Empire have ads?

Both Mahjong Journey® and Element Empire show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mahjong Journey® or Element Empire?

Mahjong Journey® ships an update monthly, and Element Empire every 3 days. Most recently, Mahjong Journey® was updated on October 29, 2026 and Element Empire on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*