2048
Play 2048 in your browser. Slide tiles with arrow keys or swipe, merge matching numbers and reach the 2048 tile. Free, no install, works offline.
Score
0
Best
0
Arrow keys on desktop, swipe on mobile. Matching tiles merge and double.
How to play
The board is a 4×4 grid. Each move slides every tile as far as it can go in one direction. When two tiles with the same number collide they merge into their sum. After every move that changed something, a new 2 (occasionally a 4) appears on a random empty cell. Reach the 2048 tile to win — the game ends when the board is full with no merges left.
Use the arrow keys on desktop or swipe on touch screens.
Strategy that actually works
- Pick a corner. Keep your largest tile pinned in one corner and never move in the direction that would dislodge it.
- Build a snake. Order tiles in a descending zig-zag along one edge so big merges chain.
- Mostly two directions. Alternate the two moves that preserve your corner; only use a third as an escape, and avoid the fourth almost entirely.
- Keep it empty. Free cells are survival — merge to open space rather than chasing the highest number too early.
The math & history
Every tile is a power of two (2¹ through 2¹¹ for 2048 and beyond). 2048 was created in 2014 by 19-year-old Gabriele Cirulli over a single weekend, inspired by the games 1024 and Threes. The theoretical maximum tile on a 4×4 board is 65536, though reaching even 8192 is rare. It became a viral open-source hit and one of the most-cloned browser games ever.