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This is generational. Of course, the generation of Westerners who played a lot of four-hand Mahjong is dead now, but still...

https://bamgoodtime.com/blog/history-of-american-mahjong

> What followed was one of the biggest game fads in American history. Between roughly 1922 and 1924, mahjong exploded across the United States. Department stores couldn't keep sets in stock. Demand grew so quickly that bone and bamboo tiles had to be imported from China in enormous quantities. Newspapers ran columns explaining the rules. Eddie Cantor performed a hit song called "Since Ma Is Playing Mah Jong." Fashion designers created mahjong-themed clothing. Entire social calendars reorganized around the game.

Probably it’s less popular in America, but it’s huge in Asia, so I doubt the solitaire version is more well known globally
I only know the 4-player tile game, as a white dude from North America. But I only know from movies. I thought most people at least knew of it.
Yes, but most of HN is outside Asia, so I feel the clarification is helpful here.
Solitaire version should be pretty well known due to the computer game.
It's not even talking about the American Mahjong variant which is super popular, mostly with older women, in surprise surprise America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mahjong

Less known to the Western centric HN crowd, maybe.
I only have 2 data points, but my mom in the southeastern US (in her 70's) and all of her friends have started playing and are fully addicted and the same seems to be true at my golf club in Inland Northwest. Maybe it's getting a toehold? (in a very non-HN demographic)
Yes its become a hot game among socialites. Complete with a SAAS subscription for the “yearly cards” and a marketing push to play the sanctioned version.
In my area it's become pretty popular, pretty broadly but especially with younger individuals.
I know the 4 player version from the Yakuza games. I only knew about the solitaire version until then from a demo version on Net Yaroze on the PlayStation, where you basically got some weird games along side the demos on a new demo disc every month.

Reminds me of poker.

Also I miss the excitement of a new issue of a magazine with a demo disc of a few new games.

I did know mahjong as a solitaire game, but an arcade one! It was quite common in cabinets when I was a kid (80s-90s)

I only learned it was also multiplayer when it appeared in some movies.

Playing mahjong together during Chinese New Year has become an essential tradition.
I never knew about the solitaire game but growing up in America, starting in childhood it seemed everyone "knew" (or thought they knew and spread rumors) why certain people were missing fingers.
mostly people know if from windows i assume