How to play 2048
2048 is the deceptively simple sliding puzzle that has hooked millions of players. You start with two tiles on a 4×4 grid. Every move slides all tiles as far as they can go in one direction — up, down, left or right. When two tiles with the same number collide, they merge into one tile with their sum, and that sum is added to your score. After each move a new 2 (or occasionally a 4) appears in a random empty cell. The goal is to build the legendary 2048 tile. The run ends when the board is full and no move can merge anything.
Controls
On desktop, use the arrow keys or WASD to slide the board in any direction. On phones and tablets, swipe anywhere on the board (or drag with a mouse) to move. Press ▶ Play to start a fresh run, and the overlay lets you restart any time. Your best score is saved in your browser, so every session starts with a target to beat.
Tips & strategy
The golden rule: pick a corner and never let your biggest tile leave it. Park your highest value in, say, the bottom-left corner and always build toward it — sliding into the opposite direction scatters your progress. Keep the board's largest tiles in descending order along one row or column so merges chain together. Avoid moving upward if your anchor is at the bottom, and resist spamming moves: every slide spawns a new tile, so a thoughtless move is what fills the board. When space runs out, look for the one move that creates a merge — merges free cells and keep the run alive.
Scoring
Every merge adds the new tile's value to your score — merging two 128s banks 256 points. Bigger merges later in the run are worth far more than early small ones, so long runs snowball fast. Reaching 2048 is the classic victory, but strong players keep going to 4096 and beyond. Your personal best is stored locally and shown next to your score.