How to play
Swipe on a phone or use the arrow keys on a computer. Every tile slides as far as it can in that direction, and two equal tiles that meet merge into one with their sum: 2 + 2 makes 4, 4 + 4 makes 8, and so on. After each move a new 2 or 4 appears. The game ends when the board is full and no two neighbors match.
How the score grows
Every merge adds the value of the new tile to your score. If a tile is built only from 2s, it brings in this many points on the way:
| Tile | Doublings from 2 | Points earned building it from 2s |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 16 |
| 64 | 5 | 320 |
| 256 | 7 | 1,792 |
| 1,024 | 9 | 9,216 |
| 2,048 | 10 | 20,480 |
So when you first make 2048 your score is usually a little under 20,480: every 4 that appeared by itself is a merge that earned you nothing.
Strategy
- Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there. Most strong players choose a bottom corner.
- Use mainly two directions. If your corner is bottom-left, play down and left, use right when you must, and avoid up.
- Keep the bottom row full. A full row cannot slide sideways, so your corner tile cannot be pushed out.
- Build a chain. Line the tiles up in falling order from the corner – 512, 256, 128 – so each merge feeds the next.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after I make the 2048 tile?
You win – and you can keep going. Choose “Keep going” and play on towards 4096 and beyond until the board fills up.
Which new tiles appear?
After every move that changes the board, one new tile appears on a random empty square: a 2 nine times out of ten, a 4 one time in ten.
Can a tile merge twice in one move?
No. A row of 2, 2, 2, 2 slid left becomes 4, 4 – not 8. Each tile can merge only once per move.
Is there an undo?
Yes, one step back. It is there for a slip of the finger, not to try every direction.
Does 2048 work offline?
Yes. After the first visit with internet, the game works offline and remembers your best score and your game in progress.