2048

2048 is the deceptively simple sliding-tile puzzle that turned a weekend project into one of the most cloned browser games ever made. Every swipe moves the entire board, and equal numbers that collide merge into their sum.

The rules take ten seconds to learn, but the board punishes greedy play. The classic strategy is to keep your largest tile in one corner and build a descending chain along one edge — it keeps the board ordered while you wait for the right merge to appear.

This is the original open-source release by Gabriele Cirulli, running entirely in your browser with instant restarts and no accounts.

How to play 2048

• Use the arrow keys (or W A S D) to slide every tile on the board in one direction.
• Tiles with the same number merge into one tile when they collide.
• Each move spawns a new 2 or 4 tile. Fill the board and you lose.
• Reach the 2048 tile to win — then keep going for a higher score.

Tips & strategy

2048 rewards structure more than speed. The board is small enough that one careless swipe can undo ten good moves, so the goal is to keep a predictable shape rather than chase every merge.

• Pick one corner and keep your largest tile there for the entire run — moving it out is usually the moment a good board collapses.
• Build a descending chain along one edge (for example 2048, 1024, 512, 256) so new tiles always have somewhere to merge.
• Limit yourself to two directions for long stretches. Most strong runs use left and up almost exclusively and only touch down when the top row is full.
• Resist the temptation to merge small tiles in the middle if it breaks your chain; a tidy board is worth more than a quick +4.
• When space runs low, merge the smallest tiles first. Freeing two cells is often better than creating one large tile in the wrong place.
• Learn the snake pattern: fill rows in alternating directions so equal numbers naturally line up for the next merge.

Controls

Questions