Game guide
2048
Your goal
Build a tile worth 2048 by merging equal numbers on a 4×4 board. You can keep playing after reaching the target.
How to play
- A new game starts with two tiles. Each move slides every tile as far as possible in one chosen direction.
- Two adjacent equal tiles merge when pushed together: 2 + 2 becomes 4, then 4 + 4 becomes 8. A tile can take part in only one merge per move.
- After a move that changes the board, a new tile appears in a free cell: usually 2, sometimes 4. A direction that moves nothing does not add a tile.
- A move can merge several separate pairs at once. Different numbers never merge, even if they are next to each other.
Controls
Computer
Use the arrow keys or WASD to slide the board. The New game button clears the board and resets the current score.
Phone or tablet
Swipe the board up, down, left or right. Each swipe makes one complete move; individual tiles cannot be dragged to a chosen square.
Progress and the end of a game
- Each merge adds the value of the new tile to your score. The largest tile and the score measure different things: reaching 2048 does not mean scoring exactly 2048 points.
- The game ends when the board is full and no equal horizontal or vertical neighbours can merge. Your best score is kept in this browser.
Useful tips
- Keep the largest tile near a corner and arrange smaller tiles beside it in descending order. Avoid moves that pull that tile out of position.
- Leave several empty cells whenever possible. Before a move, check both the merge it creates and the places where a new tile could block you.