2048
Slide numbered tiles around a 4x4 grid, merging matching pairs, and try to reach the 2048 tile before the board fills up.
2048 is a sliding-tile puzzle released in 2014 by Gabriele Cirulli. Every input pushes every tile on the grid in one direction at once, equal numbers that collide merge into their sum, and a fresh 2 or 4 drops into a random empty square afterwards. You lose when the board fills and no merge is left.
It looks like luck and is mostly discipline. The board only stays workable if you pin your biggest tile in a corner and build a descending row along one edge, which means refusing the move that would lift it out. Hitting 2048 is the stated goal, but play continues past it, and 4096 is where most people actually stall.
Controls
Arrow keys or WASD to slide the whole board; swipe on touch
Tips
- Pick one corner at the start and never press the direction that would pull your largest tile out of it.
- Keep one edge row in descending order so merges cascade down it instead of stranding singles.
- Before the fourth direction, check where a new tile could spawn. That is what usually ends runs.