For larger controls, rotate your phone or choose Expand above the game.
How to play 2048
Play 2048 online for free. Swipe or use arrow keys to merge matching tiles, build bigger numbers, and challenge your best score.
Guide checked against gameplay:
Objective, rules, and result
Every move slides all tiles in one direction. Equal tiles that meet merge once into double their value and add that value to the score. Play continues after reaching 2048 until no move remains.
How to play
- Swipe or use the arrow keys to move every tile.
- Matching tiles merge into one tile with double the value.
- Plan ahead, keep space open, and try to create the 2048 tile.
Example: One left move, two merges
A row of [2, 2, 4, 4] becomes [4, 8, 0, 0] when moved left, adding 4 + 8 = 12 points. The new 4 cannot merge again during that move. After the board changes, one random empty cell receives a 2 (90% chance) or 4 (10% chance), so the final board also includes that new tile.
Common mistakes
- A direction that leaves the board unchanged adds no tile and no score. A full board is still playable if an adjacent equal pair can merge.
- Hint suggests a legal direction by immediate merges and empty spaces; it does not guarantee a route to 2048. Keep an escape space rather than following every hint automatically.
Modes, restart, and saved progress
- There is one 4x4 mode. Hint / H suggests a move; the on-screen Undo restores one previous changed board and its score, including removing the spawned tile. Undo is unavailable after No More Moves.
- Creating 2048 shows a result once per board. Close the shared result, then choose KEEP PLAYING on the board to continue. You can also undo that move and continue, without receiving the same completion reward again.
- NEW GAME or Play again starts with two random tiles and score zero. The best score persists in this browser; the current board does not. Open How to play to pause input while reading.
Controls
Keyboard and mouse: Use the Arrow keys to slide every tile.
Touch: Swipe horizontally or vertically inside the board.
Shortcuts: H: suggested move.
Strategies to try
- Keep the largest tile anchored in one corner and avoid moves that pull it into the centre.
- Build values in descending order along an edge so new pairs can feed the corner.
Device and accessibility notes
Use Arrow keys on desktop or swipe on the board on touch screens; H suggests a move. Tile values are printed as numbers, so decisions do not depend on colour alone.
Use the Settings control above the game to turn sound or vibration off and to reduce interface motion. Expand mode can provide a larger play area. Records are stored only in this browser when storage is available.
On a small phone, use Expand and landscape for dense grids and canvas controls. These canvas games do not expose a complete board to screen readers; Memory Match and Minesweeper also require a pointer or touch to select cells. Opening the guide or hiding the tab pauses the scene without saving the unfinished board.