2048
Merge matching tiles and build your way up to 2048.
Score 0
Best 0
Arrow keys or WASD on desktop · swipe on mobile
How to play
2048 is played on a four-by-four grid. Every move slides all the tiles on the board in one direction - up, down, left or right. When two tiles with the same number slide into each other, they merge into a single tile worth twice as much. After every move, a new tile (usually a 2, occasionally a 4) appears in a random empty square. Your score grows by the value of every tile you create.
The goal is to make a tile worth 2048 before the board fills up. The game ends when there are no empty squares and no two neighbouring tiles can merge. If you reach 2048 you can keep going and chase even bigger numbers.
Controls
- Desktop: use the arrow keys, or W / A / S / D.
- Mobile: swipe anywhere on the board in the direction you want to slide.
Strategy: how to actually reach 2048
Most people lose at 2048 not because they merge badly, but because they let the board get disorganised. A few habits fix that.
Pick a corner and stay loyal to it
The single most effective technique is to keep your biggest tile in one corner - any corner - and never move it out. Build the rest of the board so that numbers decrease in a neat chain away from that corner, like 512 next to 256 next to 128. When your big tiles sit in order, merging them is automatic instead of lucky.
Use three directions, not four
If your biggest tile lives in the bottom-left corner, play almost entirely with left, right and down. Avoid pressing up, because that can drag your big tile away from its corner and scatter small tiles underneath it. Giving up one direction feels limiting, but it is what keeps the board tidy.
Don't chase every merge
New players swipe toward any two tiles that match. Experienced players ask a different question: what will the board look like after this move? A merge that breaks your ordered chain is often worse than no merge at all. When in doubt, make the move that keeps your biggest tiles together along one edge.
Plan for the tile you can't see
Every move adds a new tile in a random empty spot, so leave yourself options. A board with several empty squares is forgiving; a nearly full board turns every move into a gamble. If you notice you have only two or three empty squares left, slow down and think two moves ahead.
A short history
2048 was created by Italian developer Gabriele Cirulli and released as a free, open-source game in March 2014. It was itself inspired by earlier games like 1024 and Threes, and it spread across the internet within days, becoming one of the most-played browser games ever made. This version is our own implementation of those classic rules.