How to play

You start with two tiles on a 4 × 4 board. Each move slides every tile as far as it can go in one direction: swipe on a touch screen, or use the arrow keys (or W A S D) or the buttons. When two tiles with the same number collide they merge into one tile with the sum, and that sum is added to your score. After every move that changes the board, a new 2 (or sometimes a 4) appears. Make a 2048 tile to win, then choose to keep going for a higher score. The game ends when the board is full and nothing can merge.

Tips

Keep your biggest tile in a corner and build a descending row beside it. Prefer moves in two directions (for example left and down) and use the others only when you must. Don’t chase small merges if they break up your big row. A move that changes nothing doesn’t count and adds no tile, so you can safely try.

Is my game saved? Yes, in this browser, so you can come back to a game in progress, along with your best score. Nothing is sent anywhere.