2048

How to play

2048 is played on a four-by-four grid. Swipe, or use the arrow keys (or WASD), to slide every tile on the board as far as it will go in that direction. Two tiles of the same number that collide merge into one tile worth their sum — two 2s become a 4, two 4s become an 8, and so on. Each turn, after your slide, a new tile appears in a random empty space: usually a 2, occasionally a 4.

A direction only counts as a move if it actually shifts or merges something — sliding into a wall that doesn't move anything is simply not a legal move, and nothing happens. The game ends the moment no direction would change the board at all: every space full, and no two neighboring tiles left that share a number.

Reaching the 2048 tile is traditionally the goal, but the game doesn't actually stop there — keep sliding for as high a score as you can reach after that point.

Tips for a stronger game

Pick one corner and build toward it. Keeping your largest tile pinned in a corner, and your next-largest tiles arranged along the edge next to it, keeps your board organized enough to see your next few merges coming rather than getting boxed in by a board full of small, mismatched tiles.

Try to avoid the direction that would move your corner tile away from its corner unless you have to. Once a large tile leaves its corner, it's much harder to build around, since it can end up trapped in the middle of the board with smaller tiles on every side.

A board that looks empty is not necessarily safe. What matters far more than how many tiles are on the board is whether your tiles are still arranged so that every move has somewhere useful to merge — a nearly full board with a clear plan beats a half-empty one with none.