• And 2 in 5 of those gatherings are happening at home, per the digital invite platform.

🪑 Keep the tables ready. "You play a lot more" when the game is out, Falls Church, Virginia, homeowner Paige Hahn says.

• Setting up tables each week can get "a little cumbersome."

🀄️ Let guests bring their own tiles. Most players want to show off their sets, so you don't need to stock multiple ones, Hahn says.

🌈 Yes, but: If you have a collection, display it. Colorful tiles and mats, which are meant to reduce noise and provide a smooth playing surface, double as decor, Alexandria homeowner Jennifer Miller says.

• Hang them on racks or store them in clear containers.

🍷 Skip the spread. Miller usually doesn't serve food.

• Guests bring their own drinks. Less prep and cleanup, more mahjong.

⏱️ Keep it casual. Sessions don't need to be long or planned. Arlington homeowner Jennifer Grillo says a quick one between her kids' weekend sports lineup is fair game.

💪 Design with flexibility in mind. Hahn is keeping her renovation relatively simple — one wallpaper accent wall — in case the room needs to transition to a different use down the road.