2048
Slide the tiles. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one. Can you build a 2048 tile?
Use the arrow keys (or W A S D) on a computer, or swipe on the board on a phone.
How to play
Each move slides every tile as far as it can go in one direction: up, down, left or right. When two tiles with the same number collide, they merge into a single tile worth their sum: 2 + 2 becomes 4, 4 + 4 becomes 8, and so on. After every move, a new 2 (or sometimes a 4) appears in an empty spot.
Your score goes up by the value of every merged tile. The game ends when the board is full and no two neighboring tiles match.
Winning strategies
Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there. Most strong players choose a bottom corner and almost never move the big tile away from it.
Use mostly two or three directions. If your corner is bottom-left, favor Down and Left, use Right when needed, and avoid Up unless you must.
Build a chain. Line up tiles in decreasing order along the bottom row (for example 256, 128, 64, 32) so each merge feeds the next.
Keep the board tidy. Small tiles scattered everywhere are the fastest way to run out of space. Merge small tiles early.
Think one move ahead. Before you slide, look at where the new tile could appear and whether it could block your chain.
The story of 2048
2048 was created in March 2014 by Gabriele Cirulli, a young Italian web developer, who built it as a weekend project and shared the code freely. It was inspired by earlier sliding number games, and it spread across the internet within days. Since then it has been played by millions of people and copied in countless versions, like the one on this page.
Why it is so satisfying
Every move is simple, but every move matters. The numbers double, the board fills, and a single good decision can clear half the grid. It is a puzzle of patience and planning, perfect for a five-minute break.