Controls

You play with swipes or arrow keys. Swipe up, down, left, or right, and every tile on the board slides as far as it can go in that direction. On a keyboard, the arrow keys do the same thing.

The whole game runs on one rule about merging:

• Merging happens when two tiles with the same number slide into each other. They combine into a single tile of double the value, so 2 and 2 make 4, and 4 and 4 make 8.
• New tiles appear after every move, usually a 2. Because the board fills up over time, keeping empty space is a constant balancing act.

The game ends when the board is full and no more merges are possible, so your real job is to avoid getting boxed in.

A level badge climbs each time you reach 2048, tracking your streak, though the board size and the 2048 target stay the same every game.

Tips

• Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there. Building toward one corner keeps your largest numbers together instead of scattered, which is the single habit that separates a stuck board from a winning one.
• Mostly swipe in two directions. If you keep your big tile in a corner, sticking to two directions, say down and right, stops it from wandering off and breaking your stack.
• Avoid swiping the direction that moves your big tile. Once your largest number is anchored in a corner, the swipe that pulls it away is the one that usually ruins the board.
• Keep a full row or column building in order. Lining up descending values along one edge means each merge sets up the next, like a chain reaction waiting to happen.
• Leave yourself space. A cramped board gives you no room to react to a badly placed new tile, so clearing merges early keeps your options open.
• Slow down when the board fills. Fast swiping is fine early, but near the end a single thoughtless move can lock everything. That is when it pays to look before you slide.

Frequently asked questions