2048HQ

How to Play 2048

Five short steps. Do each one on the board to move on.

  1. Slide the tiles

    Every move slides all tiles as far as they can go in one direction. Press ← or swipe left.

  2. Merge matching numbers

    When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one tile worth their sum. Slide left to turn two 2s into a 4.

  3. A new tile after every move

    After each move, a new tile appears in a random empty cell. It is a 2 nine times out of ten, otherwise a 4. Slide right and watch the new 2 appear.

  4. One merge per tile, per move

    Four 2s in a row do not become an 8 in one move. Each tile merges once, so you get two 4s. Slide left to see it.

  5. Keep space open

    The game ends when the board is full and no neighbours match. Slide down to merge the column and free up room.

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Step 1 of 5

How to play 2048 in one sentence: slide the tiles, merge matching numbers, and try to make a tile worth 2048 before the board fills up. The steps above let you try each rule. Here are the same rules written out, plus how scoring works.

What is the 2048 game?

2048 is a single-player sliding puzzle on a 4×4 grid, released as a free web game in 2014. Every tile shows a power of two. Your moves are up, down, left and right; there is no timer and no limit on moves, so you can take as long as you like to think.

The rules

  1. Moves. Each move slides every tile as far as it can go in one direction.
  2. Merges. Two tiles with the same number that collide merge into one tile worth their sum.
  3. One merge per move. A tile created by a merge cannot merge again in the same move.
  4. New tiles. After every move that changes the board, a new tile appears in a random empty cell: a 2 (90%) or a 4 (10%).
  5. Winning. Make a 2048 tile. You can then stop or keep playing.
  6. Losing. The game is over when the board is full and no two neighbouring tiles match.

How scoring works

Every merge adds the new tile's value to your score. Merging two 8s adds 16 points. A 2048 tile built entirely from 2s is worth 20,480 points on its own, which is why a winning game usually scores somewhere past 20,000.

Is 2048 luck or skill?

Mostly skill. New tiles are random, but good players lose far less often because they keep the board ordered and leave room for bad luck. Once you know the rules, how to win 2048 covers the corner strategy that most strong players use.

Questions

How do you play 2048 on a phone?

Swipe up, down, left or right on the board. Each swipe is one move.

Which keys play 2048 on a computer?

The arrow keys, or W, A, S and D.

How long does a game of 2048 take?

A game that reaches 2048 takes roughly 900 to 1,000 moves. At a relaxed pace that is 20 to 40 minutes, but you can stop at any time; the game saves itself.

What happens if a move does not change the board?

Nothing. No new tile appears and it does not count as a move, so you can try another direction.

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