Riichi Mahjong Guide: How to Win at Little Sparrow (NTE 1.2)

What is Riichi Mahjong in NTE?

Little Sparrow is the Hethereau Hobbies mahjong mini-game in Neverness to Everness, located in the Miguel District. Version 1.2 added a permanent new mode called Riichi Mahjong alongside the existing Mahjong Inferno mode.

Unlock Condition: Hunter Level 11. Little Sparrow is a City Stamina activity — each session costs City Stamina, with optional bonus Stamina for extra rewards.

Mode	How It Ends	Key Mechanic
Mahjong Inferno	Draw pile exhausted	Continuous play; score determines ranking
Riichi Mahjong	First winning hand	Riichi Declaration wager system

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Riichi Mahjong: Core Rules

Riichi Mahjong follows the same base mechanics as Mahjong Inferno — players draw and discard tiles to complete 4 sets and a pair — but with one critical difference: the game ends as soon as one player achieves a winning hand.

Tile Sets

Set Type	Description
Chow	Three consecutive tiles of the same suit
Pung	Three identical tiles
Kong	Four identical tiles

The three suits are Bamboo, Dots, and Characters. Each player must also select a Void Suit — tiles from this suit cannot be part of your winning hand, and holding Void tiles at the end incurs a penalty.

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Riichi Declaration: High-Risk, High-Reward

The defining mechanic of Riichi Mahjong is the Riichi Declaration. When you believe your hand is one tile away from winning, you can declare Riichi and wager points.

If you win: You claim all rewards plus your wager back, and receive a substantial score bonus.

If you fail: You lose your wagered points.

The decision to declare Riichi is the central skill test of the mode. Declaring too early risks losing points if opponents complete their hand first or if your needed tile never appears. Waiting too long means missing the score bonus.

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Kokushi Musou: The Rarest Hand

Kokushi Musou (also called Thirteen Orphans) is one of the highest-scoring hands in Riichi Mahjong. It requires collecting one of each terminal and honor tile — specifically the 1 and 9 of each suit plus one pair.

The new codes NTEKokushi and NTEMusou released on July 16–17 are named after this hand, rewarding players with Fons and Beetle Coins to celebrate the Riichi Mahjong mode.

In practice, Kokushi is extremely difficult to complete in a competitive game because other players will finish their hands first. It is most viable when opponents are playing slowly or when you draw the necessary tiles early.

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Tile Strategy

Prioritize middle tiles (4–6). These connect in both directions and are the most flexible tiles for building Chows. Edge tiles (1 and 9) only connect one way, making them harder to use.

Track discards. Hovering over a tile in your hand highlights identical tiles that have already been discarded by other players. If three copies of a tile have been discarded, the fourth is unavailable — adjust your hand accordingly.

Read your opponents. Pay attention to what tiles other players are picking up. If a player takes a discarded tile to complete a Pung, they are likely building a hand around that suit. Avoid discarding tiles that would help them.

Manage your clock. Each turn has a 10–30 second timer. Plan your discard before your draw tile arrives so you are not forced into a rushed decision.

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Shinku’s Life Skill Bonus

Shinku’s Life Skill “Always Up for a Challenge” provides additional rewards for every round of Little Sparrow when you spend extra City Stamina.

Mode	Extra Stamina Cost	Benefit
Mahjong Inferno	+1 City Stamina	Bonus rewards per round
Riichi Mahjong	+3 City Stamina	Bonus rewards per round

If you have Shinku and plan to farm Little Sparrow regularly, leveling this Life Skill is a priority. The Riichi Mahjong bonus is particularly valuable given the mode’s higher Fons yield per session.

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Rewards: Fons and Chirpy Sparrow Balls

Playing Little Sparrow earns Fons and Chirpy Sparrow Balls. Chirpy Sparrow Balls are spent at the Little Sparrow shop with the maid Feather on the counter, exchangeable for mahjong cosmetics including table mats, tile sets, and avatar accessories.

Fons earned from Little Sparrow contribute to your overall Fons stockpile. During the Gold Clash event (July 16–30), Pink Paws Heist doubles Fons — but Little Sparrow remains a consistent secondary Fons source throughout Version 1.2.

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How to Access Little Sparrow

Little Sparrow is located in the Miguel District. From the City Tycoon app’s Hethereau Hobbies menu, select Little Sparrow from the second row. The game will plot a route to the cafe regardless of map exploration status. Once inside, head to a mahjong table on the second floor.