Our playing guide
2048 · How to play
2048 is a small exercise in planning space. A swipe moves the entire board, so every merge also changes the routes available on your next turn.
Controls
Swipe the board or use the arrow keys.
Rules & goal
- Swipe in one direction to combine matching numbers into twice their value.
- A new tile appears after an effective move. Keep making larger numbers before the board becomes blocked.
- A tile does not merge repeatedly within a single move. Read the whole row before committing.
Beginner tips
- Keep your largest tile near one corner and organize a neighboring edge.
- Empty cells give you room to recover. Avoid a tempting merge if it closes every other route.
Progress & devices
Play in a desktop or mobile browser using the controls above. Some games save only in the current browser; clearing site data can remove saves. Pause when stepping away. Reloading is not guaranteed to preserve the current round.
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