2048

How to play 2048

2048 is a sliding number puzzle played on a 4 by 4 grid. Every tile shows a power of two, starting with 2 and 4. When you slide, every tile on the board moves as far as it can in that direction. If two tiles with the same number bump into each other, they merge into one tile worth their total. Your goal is to keep merging until you build a single tile that says 2048.

The rules

• Each move slides all the tiles left, right, up or down.
• Two matching tiles that touch during a slide join together. Two 2s make a 4, two 4s make an 8, and so on up to 2048.
• A tile can only merge once per move. A row of 4, 4, 8 slid left becomes 8, 8, not 16.
• After every move that changes the board, a new 2 or 4 appears in a random empty square.
• Each merge adds the new tile's value to your score.
• The game ends when the board is full and no slide can merge anything.

Controls on a computer and on a phone

On a computer, use the arrow keys or W, A, S and D. Press U, or the Undo button, to take back your last move. On a phone or tablet, swipe on the board in the direction you want the tiles to go. The page will not scroll while your finger is on the board, so you can swipe freely. You can also drag with a mouse.

Undo works once: it takes back one move, then turns off until you move again. New game starts a fresh board, and if you tap it by accident, Undo brings your old game back. When you reach 2048 you can choose Keep going to chase an even bigger tile. Your best score and the game in progress are saved in this browser.

Tips and strategy

• Pick a corner and stay there. Choose one corner, such as the bottom left, and keep your biggest tile in it for the whole game. Most strong players use only two or three directions most of the time.
• Keep your edge row full. If the row with your big tile stays full, a sideways slide cannot pull the big tile out of its corner.
• Build a chain. Line up tiles in falling order along the edge, like 512, 256, 128, 64. Then one merge can set off the next, all the way into the corner.
• Avoid the fourth direction. If your corner is at the bottom, try not to swipe up. Use it only when nothing else moves, and slide back down right away.
• Watch for small tiles getting stuck. A lone 2 trapped behind big tiles can block your chain. Merge small tiles early so they do not pile up.
• Slow down. There is no timer. Before each move, look at where the new tile could land and what it might block.

2048 is a good short break between study sessions. A game usually takes 5 to 15 minutes, and planning a few moves ahead is a nice change from reading or writing.

Questions