Choose the required record fields based on your purpose
Before choosing a tool, decide how you will use the records. To start, simply choose the closest of the following three purposes.
Settle a single game
To recalculate a settlement later, record the date, players, final point totals, placements, return points, uma, oka, and rounding method. If converting points, also record the conversion rate and unit; if using chips, record the number of chips and value per chip; and record the table-fee setting if applicable. The base score (soten) is the difference between a player’s final point total and the return points, which serve as the settlement baseline, expressed in units of 1,000 points. Store it separately from the final game points after uma, oka, and other placement adjustments so you can verify each step of the calculation.
Track long-term placements and results
The minimum fields needed to compile long-term placements are the date, number of players, game length, and placement. Record an East-South game (hanchan) separately from an East-only game (tonpuusen). To track average results as well, add each game’s final point total or final game points.
Review decisions hand by hand
To review the order of discards and the path to winning, the game’s final result alone is not enough. Save a record of each hand’s starting tiles, draws, discards, calls, and result, such as a haifu, along with notes on positions that caught your attention.
Settlement records are kept per game, while haifu are kept per hand. Since they serve different purposes, do not force them into one table; manage game results and position records separately while linking them together.
Compare paper, spreadsheets, and dedicated apps using the same criteria
| Task | Paper | Excel or spreadsheet | Dedicated app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input | Write anything immediately | Create your own columns and input rules | Use the provided screens and fields |
| Corrections | Delete or add an entry | Fix the relevant cells and formulas | Check whether entries can be edited after saving |
| Automatic aggregation | Requires manual calculation or transcription | Compile statistics using the formulas created | Compile statistics within the supported rules and metrics |
| Sharing | Hand over the sheet or a photo | Use a file or shared link | Use a supported sharing method, such as an image |
| Backup | Make a copy or take a photo yourself | Copy it to another storage location | Check the available backup and recovery procedures |
| Export and transfer | Requires transcription or photography | Can be saved in supported formats | Check the available export fields, such as CSV, and whether the data can be reimported |
A dedicated app does not necessarily automate everything. If it does not support your usual settlement rules, manual adjustments are required. Spreadsheets also require you to maintain the formulas and sharing settings yourself.
Check whether you can save the same records every time
Record keeping is repeated after every game, so a feature-rich method is not useful if each entry takes too long and records are left incomplete. Enter the same sample game with each candidate and compare the steps from opening the tool to saving, any points of confusion, and the effort required to make a correction.
Paper does not depend on batteries or an internet connection. Excel and spreadsheets let you freely define fields and formulas. Dedicated apps make it easier to connect data entry with standardized statistics, but custom rules and export formats vary by product.
8 things to check in a score-tracking app
- Game format: Can four-player and three-player mahjong, and east-only and hanchan games, be saved separately?
- Placement adjustments: Can you configure your usual uma, oka, and rounding rules?
- Actual net results: Can rates, chips, and table fees be handled separately from point sticks?
- Entry: Can you save one game in a reasonable number of steps?
- Correction: Can you correct entry errors or participant changes later?
- Analysis: Are there necessary metrics such as average placement, first-place rate, last-place rate, and net results by period?
- Sharing and export: Can you export in a suitable format, such as an image or CSV?
- Storage: Are there documented procedures for backups, restoration, and transferring to a new device in case of failure?
Check the handling of data before use
If you want to record the names and locations of your matches, check where they are saved, whether they will be sent externally, how to delete them, and the privacy policy. Please also check that the images and files you share do not contain unnecessary names.
Score the description and actual behavior separately
Do not rely solely on the app store description. Mark items you verified as ○, conditional items as △, and unsupported items as ×. Decide your must-have features first; for example, require separate three-player and four-player mahjong records and backups, while making image sharing optional.
Also check how each metric is calculated. If “win rate” means the percentage of games with a positive score in one app but the number of 1st-place finishes divided by games played in another, the same name represents different values.
Try one sample game
Enter the same sample once in each app using your usual rules to see the differences between candidates.
Data to try
- The three-player or four-player format you usually play
- Final point totals and placements
- Uma, oka, and rounding rules
- Conversion rate, chip values, and table fees
- Conditions that make inputting difficult, such as tied scores or negative scores
After saving, check whether every player’s final point total, chip receipts and payments, table fees, and final net result match the expected values. The Mahjong Results Calculation Guide explains the calculation order.
Make one correction after saving
Intentionally change one participant’s final point total and check whether placement, final game points, net result, and aggregates update accordingly. Then restore the original value. Even if entry is fast, having to delete and recreate records for corrections becomes burdensome over long-term use.
For this trial, choose the player count and rules you use most often. After narrowing down the candidates, check each app’s settings to see whether it also supports other player counts and rules.
Differences in export, backups, and device migration
CSV export, backups, and device transfers are separate features. Support for one does not guarantee support for the other two.
| Feature | Main uses | Check points |
|---|---|---|
| CSV export | Analyze data in a spreadsheet and keep a copy of the data | Columns, date range, character encoding, and whether re-import is supported |
| Backup | Restore records in the same app | Storage location, included data, and restoration steps |
| Changing devices | Transfer your setup to another device | Supported OS, account, and transfer steps |
CSV exports data in tabular form, but does not preserve cell colors, multiple sheets, formulas, or similar features. If the app does not support reimporting, you cannot restore the original state from the CSV alone.
- Record a sample game
- Export a CSV and confirm that it includes the required columns
- Create a backup and check its storage location and included data
- If possible, test the restoration steps with sample data
- Separately check the official device-change instructions
A backup is useful only if it can be restored when needed. Test the restoration procedure with a small amount of sample data when you start using the tool, rather than trying it for the first time with important records.
Minimum fields for consistent record-keeping
Choose the minimum fields based on your goal. A record used only to track long-term placements requires different fields from one that allows you to recalculate settlements.
| Purpose | Required fields | Fields to add as needed |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term placements | Date, number of players, game length, placement | Final point total or final game points if you want to track averages |
| Recalculating settlements | Date, players, final point totals, placement, return points, uma, oka, and rounding method | If used, conversion rate and unit, number of chips and value per chip, and table fee |
| Reviewing one hand | Hand, result, and notable decisions | Starting hand, draws, discards, calls, and point transfers |
Manually recording every hand creates extra work. Note only the hands you want to review, or use this when you can save records from the service you play on. For how to aggregate game results, see Guidelines and views on average placement in mahjong for details.
Rules for adding input items later
When adding a new field, set a start date and a rule such as “required from the next game” or “leave past records blank.” Filling 100 old records from memory mixes guesses into the data. Also decide whether blank fields count as zero or are excluded from aggregation.
Use consistent participant names so the same person is not registered under different names. Selecting venues and rulesets from predefined options also prevents the same format from being counted separately.
How to choose based on your purpose
Use columns for the date, participants, format, final point totals, and placement so the data can be transferred later.
Design your own validation rules, formula protection, and backup destinations.
Test your usual rules, corrections, CSV export, and backups with a sample game.
Choose one master record and one place for corrections, and treat the CSV as a copy for analysis.
Frequently asked questions about mahjong record-keeping tools
Can I choose just the free apps?
Price matters, but re-entering data becomes costly if the free version does not support your usual rules, corrections, export, or backups. Test one sample game and the backup method within the free tier, then compare the required features with any ongoing cost.
Which is more accurate: Excel or a dedicated app?
Accuracy does not follow from the tool alone. In Excel, verify your formulas; in a dedicated app, verify that its rules and calculation specifications match your game. Compare the same sample game with a manual calculation.
If I have a CSV, can I restore my data after changing devices?
Not necessarily. CSV export may be intended only for analysis and storage, with no support for reimporting into the app. Keep CSV files separate from app-specific backups, and check the official restoration procedure.
Materials referenced during comparison
- Microsoft Support, “Import or Export Text (.txt or .csv) Files”: Excel CSV import/export and format differences
- Google Docs Editor Help "Access your spreadsheets": Device and offline-use requirements
- App Store “MemoJong”: Official information on game results, scores, net results, statistics, sharing, and backups
- MemoJong on Google Play: Official information on game results, average placement, sharing, and backups
- M.LEAGUE Official Results: Team Scores: An official example of performance tracked with multiple metrics
- Takuya Ogami et al. “Estimation of ability in mahjong using variance reduction method”: Aggregating game results and uncertainty in average placement
This article compares the suitability of paper, Excel, and dedicated apps by purpose. Product features and pricing may change, so check the official information and actual behavior when using them. Sources checked: July 28, 2026.
Summary
Choose a record-keeping tool based on your purpose. Enter one sample game and check whether you can consistently record every required field, correct mistakes, and back up or export the data.