Pre-Holiday Launch Sprint | Devlog #3 — UI Overhaul, New Decks, and Bosses

Hello Mahjong enthusiasts!

It’s been over a month since the Steam Next Fest, and we’ve been hard at work gathering feedback from every survey and player comments on the demo. We've been diving into a new development cycle and organized another closed beta test in our community to fine-tune some of the updates. Huge thanks to everyone who participated in the demo and the closed beta test — every piece of feedback has been an incredible motivation and help to the team!

We’re thrilled to share that most of the Early Access content is now complete, and we’re sprinting toward a pre-Lunar New Year release. In this Dev Blog, let’s take a look at what’s been happening in Aotenjo!

UI Overhaul

First up is the most noticeable change: a full overhaul of the game’s UI!

Since the game includes plenty of descriptions for gadgets, rules, and effects, here are what we have done:

• Replaced the plain monochrome backgrounds with more engaging visuals and restructured the layout to better prioritize information.
• Switched to a cleaner, more readable font.
• You can now hover your mouse over gadgets to instantly see their effects on your hand.
• When selecting a tile, the score information will display clearly at the top, helping players optimize their builds.
• In addition to drag-and-drop functionality, items can now also be used with a simple click.

Evolving Tutorial

From unique rules to countless Mahjong tiles and quirky gadget effects, Aotenjo has always had a "complex" vibe since its first demo. Making the game accessible to Mahjong beginners remains one of our biggest challenges.

The tutorial in the Next Fest demo introduced basic gameplay mechanics, but we found that the Mahjong-specific terminology left some players, especially those new to Mahjong, feeling confused. In November’s closed beta, we expanded the tutorial with more detailed explanations of Mahjong terms, as well as the game’s overall flow and objectives. However, this led to a new problem: the sheer volume of information at once overwhelmed many players (oops :(
Now, we’re pivoting to a more practical approach. Instead of delivering a lecture-style tutorial, we’ll integrate lessons directly into gameplay. This way, players can learn when they are playing.

New Decks, Gadgets, and Bosses

Content-wise, we’ve been keeping the pace up! Following the Bamboo Mahjong from the demo and Rainbow Mahjong introduced in the beta, we’ve now completed two additional decks for the EA version: Galaxy Mahjong and Sneaky Mahjong, each with their own unique gadgets, tiles, and rules.

Rainbow Mahjong:
In traditional Mahjong, flower tiles such as the 4 seasons and the 4 flowers can be added to decks optionally to add variety, making the potential score higher and more fun.

Aotenjo takes this to the next level, allowing up to 16 different flower tiles that can trigger unique passive effects when played. Each tile also carries specific keywords, creating interesting synergies with hands for strategic depth.

For players who love challenges, the current difficulty modes from the demo weren’t enough for some Mahjong veterans. So, we’ve added a new difficulty, featuring four sub-levels for players to conquer.

The EA version will also introduce more than ten new bosses, each with unique mechanics. Here’s a sneak peek at their names: Indeterminate, Inconstant, Immaculate, Invincible, Immortal, Incapable, Inaccessible, Immoral, Insecure, and Inconsiderate. Some old bosses, like Colorless, have also been reworked for a fresh challenge.

Stay Updated

As we approach the final sprint, we’ll be communicating more frequently about things like our future update roadmap and detailed launch plans. Once we finalize the release details, we’ll share them as soon as possible. Don’t forget to add Aotenjo to your wishlist if you’re interested!

If you have any thoughts or suggestions about this content, feel free to join our Discord community and let us know directly!

Before we wrap up, let’s chat a bit! With the year coming to a close, we’re just as curious as you are about all the game awards going on. Who’s got your vote in this year’s Steam Awards? Let us know in the comments or swing by our official Discord —we’d love to hear your picks!

Thank you for your support,
Aotenjo Dev Team