How to play 2048
- Use the arrow keys or WASD, swipe on a touch screen, or tap the on-screen pad to slide every tile in one direction.
- When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one tile worth their sum: 2 + 2 = 4, 4 + 4 = 8, and so on.
- After every move a new 2 (or occasionally a 4) appears in a random empty cell.
- Reach 2048 to win. You can keep playing to build bigger tiles until the board is full and no merges remain.
Scoring
- Each merge adds the value of the new tile to your score: merging two 64s scores 128.
- Your best score is stored in this browser and shown next to the current score.
- Undo restores the previous board once, and the score with it. It is there for slips, not for endless retries.
Tips
- Pick a corner and keep your largest tile there. Most players use the bottom-left or bottom-right.
- Avoid the direction that would pull the big tile out of its corner. Many strong games use only three directions most of the time.
- Keep the row containing your biggest tile full so it never shifts when you move sideways.
- Build a descending chain (512, 256, 128, 64…) along one edge so merges cascade in one move.
About 2048
2048 was created in 2014 by Gabriele Cirulli as a weekend project and spread worldwide within days. It is based on the earlier games 1024 and Threes. The rules fit in a sentence, yet reaching 2048 reliably takes real planning, which is why it is still played more than a decade later.
This version keeps the original 4×4 rules and adds an undo button, swipe controls, an on-screen pad and best-score tracking that never leaves your device.
Scores and preferences for this game are stored only in your browser's local storage. Nothing is sent to a server and no account is needed. Browse all games.