You made 2048
Keep going for a bigger tile, or start a new game.
Swipe to move. Matching tiles merge. Use the arrow keys to move. Press U to undo.
Slide the tiles, merge the numbers, chase 2048.
2048 is a sliding tile puzzle played on a 4x4 grid. Every move slides all the tiles one way, and two tiles with the same number merge into one tile with their sum. The goal is to build a tile worth 2048. Gabriele Cirulli released the original in March 2014.
Updated
Why you will love it
Learn 2048 in a minute
Slide the tiles, merge matching numbers, and build up to a tile worth 2048. One rule, and every move counts.
How does 2048 work?
The board is a 4x4 grid. A game starts with two tiles, and these rules decide everything that happens after that.
- Moves: Every move slides all the tiles in one direction until they meet the wall or another tile. A move that would change nothing does not count
- Merges: Two equal tiles that collide become one tile worth both. A tile made in a merge cannot merge again in the same move, so a row of 2, 2, 4 slid left becomes 4, 4, not 8
- Which tiles merge first: The pair nearest the wall you slide towards. A row of 2, 2, 2 slid left becomes 4, 2
- New tiles: After every move, one new tile appears in a random empty cell. It is a 2 nine times out of ten and a 4 the rest of the time
- Winning: Making a 2048 tile wins the game. You can then keep going on the same board or start a new one
- Game over: The game ends when the board is full and no two neighbouring tiles match, so no move is left
Controls and saving
Made for a thumb first, and just as quick with a keyboard.
- Touch: Swipe anywhere on the board. The move happens as soon as your finger has travelled far enough, without waiting for you to lift it
- Keyboard: Arrow keys, WASD, or H, J, K and L
- Undo: The undo button, U, or Ctrl+Z takes back your last move, up to 100 moves back. It also works from the game over screen
- New game: The new game button starts a fresh board
- Fullscreen: The button in the top bar hides the rest of the page so only the game is on screen
- Saving: A game in progress is saved on your device, with its undo history, and kept for 30 days. The clock pauses while the page is hidden
How is the score counted?
Only merges score. Each one adds the value of the tile it makes, so big merges are worth far more than small ones.
- Points per merge: Two 2s make a 4 and add 4 points. Two 64s make a 128 and add 128. The points from your last move float up from the score
- A 2048 tile: Building one from 2s alone adds 20,480 points along the way, since every tile below it had to be made first. Tiles that arrive as 4s skip a step and score a little less
- Best score: Your highest score is kept on your device. The best pill turns gold the moment you beat it
- End of a game: The game over screen shows your score, your biggest tile, the number of moves and the time
How do you get a high score?
Most strong games follow one plan: keep the biggest tile in a corner and line the others up behind it, biggest to smallest.
The corner plan
- Pick a corner: Choose one, say bottom left, and keep your biggest tile there for the whole game
- Use three directions: With the big tile bottom left, move down, left and right. Press up only when nothing else moves, because it pulls the corner tile out and lets a small tile drop in behind it
- Fill the bottom row: Keep the bottom row full, so a sideways move can never shift the corner tile
Build a chain
- Order the row: Line the bottom row up from the corner, biggest first, for example 256, 128, 64, 32
- Snake upwards: When the bottom row is full, continue the chain along the row above in the opposite direction, so the smallest tile of one row sits next to the next value it needs
- Collapse it: Once the chain ends in two equal tiles, one move merges them, and the new tile matches its neighbour, so the merges run back towards the corner one move at a time
Habits that help
- Keep space: Merge small tiles early. A board with few empty cells leaves the new tile little choice of where to land
- Look before you slide: Check where the empty cells will be after a move, since that is where the next tile can appear
- Use undo to learn: Undo does not change which tile comes next, so you can replay a move and see what a different choice would have done
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about 2048 and how this version works.
What happens after I reach 2048?
You win, and a message gives you the choice to keep going on the same board or start a new game. If you keep going, the score keeps counting and you can aim for 4096 and beyond.
What is the highest possible tile?
On the 4x4 board, 131,072. Building it needs every smaller tile on the board at the same time, so it is only possible with a long run of lucky new tiles. Reaching 2048 is already a good game, and 4096 is a strong one.
Can every game of 2048 be won?
No. New tiles appear in random empty cells, so an unlucky run can end a game however well you play. The corner plan makes a win far more likely, but not certain.
Can I undo a move?
Yes, up to 100 moves back, with the undo button, U or Ctrl+Z, and also from the game over screen. Undo does not change which tile appears next, so the same move always gives the same result.
Is my game saved if I close the page?
Yes. A game in progress is saved on your device, with its undo history, and kept for 30 days. Your best score stays until you clear your browser's data.
Who created 2048?
Gabriele Cirulli, an Italian web developer, released 2048 in March 2014. It drew on earlier sliding tile games, 1024 and Threes!, and became the version most people know.
More free games
Something not right?
Tell us about a bug, or a game you would like to see.
Ready to play 2048?
Jump straight in, free, ad-free, and no download required.