2048

How to Play 2048

2048 is played on a 4x4 grid of numbered tiles. Press an arrow key (or swipe) and every tile slides as far as it can in that direction. When two tiles with the same number collide, they merge into a single tile worth their sum: two 2s become a 4, two 4s become an 8, and so on. After every move that changes the board, a new tile (usually a 2, occasionally a 4) appears in a random empty cell.

Your score grows by the value of every merge you make, and the game ends when the grid is full and no neighboring tiles match. Reach the 2048 tile and you win - but you can keep playing for 4096, 8192, and beyond. A one-step undo is available if a move goes wrong.

Strategy Tips

• Anchor your biggest tile in a corner - pick a corner (bottom-left works well) and never let your largest tile leave it. Everything else in your game should serve that corner.
• Only use three directions - if your corner is bottom-left, move left, down, and occasionally right. Pressing up tears your structure apart and is how most games die.
• Build a descending snake - arrange tiles in decreasing order along the bottom row, then snaking up the next row. Merges then cascade naturally into your corner.
• Keep your anchor row full - if the bottom row has a gap, a sideways move can slide your big tile out of the corner. Fill the row before moving horizontally.
• Don't chase every small merge - a merge that scatters your structure costs more than the points it earns. Think one move ahead about where the new random tile could land.
• Save the undo for real mistakes - one step of undo is precious late in the game when a single wrong swipe can bury your king tile.