2048 – Online Number Merge Puzzle
Slide the 4×4 board with arrow keys or swipes, combine equal numbers into larger tiles and keep space open as a new 2 or 4 appears after every valid move.
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2048
About 2048
This browser 2048 implementation uses the classic 4×4 sliding merge loop. A move compresses tiles in one direction, combines equal values and adds the value of each new merged tile to your score.
Whenever a move actually changes the grid, the game places one new tile in a random empty cell. The new tile is 2 in 90% of cases and 4 in 10%. The run ends only when the board is full and no equal horizontal or vertical neighbors remain.
How to Play 2048
1Use the arrow keys on a keyboard, or swipe at least 30 pixels on a touch screen.
2Move all tiles left, right, up or down in a single action.
3When two equal values meet, they merge into one tile with double the value.
4After a valid move, one new 2 or 4 appears in a random empty cell.
5Keep combining tiles until no legal move remains.
2048 Rules
- The board contains 16 cells in a 4×4 grid.
- Only equal values merge, producing one tile with twice the number.
- The score increases by the value of each newly merged tile.
- A board-changing move spawns one new tile: 90% chance of 2 and 10% chance of 4.
- The game ends only when the board is full and no equal horizontal or vertical neighbors remain.
- The displayed Best value is session-only and is not saved to localStorage.
2048 Scoring
| Action | Points | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Merge 2 + 2 → 4 | +4 | The new merged tile value is added to score. |
| Merge 4 + 4 → 8 | +8 | The same rule applies to every merge value. |
| Merge 8 + 8 → 16 | +16 | Larger merges add proportionally larger score. |
2048 Game Mechanics
Objective
Slide a 4×4 grid to combine equal numbered tiles, build larger powers of two and keep legal moves available for as long as possible.
Round End
Game over occurs when all 16 cells are occupied and there are no equal horizontal or vertical neighbors left to merge.
- The board is 4×4 and every valid move slides all tiles in one direction before equal values combine.
- After any move that changes the board, one new tile appears in a random empty cell: 2 with 90% probability or 4 with 10% probability.
- A swipe shorter than 30 pixels is ignored by the touch controls.
- The current code tracks Best only in memory for the active page session and does not write it to localStorage.
- Score and Best reset after a page reload. The current implementation does not persist the board or best score between sessions.
Tips & Strategies
- Try to keep your largest tile near a corner so normal moves are less likely to pull it into the middle.
- Avoid unnecessary direction changes; each valid move adds another tile and increases board pressure.
- Before filling the last empty cells, check whether the move creates at least one equal horizontal or vertical pair for the next turn.
- On touch devices, make deliberate swipes longer than 30 pixels because shorter gestures are ignored.
Game Info
| Game Name | 2048 |
| Category | Puzzle |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Platform | Web Browser |
| Price | Free |
| Players | 1 Player |
| Controls | Keyboard / Touch |
| Last Updated | 2026-08-07 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play 2048 online?
Use arrow keys or touch swipes to move every tile in one direction. Equal numbers that meet merge into a tile with double the value.
How does 2048 scoring work?
Whenever two equal tiles merge, the value of the new tile is added to the score. An 8 + 8 merge creates 16 and adds 16 points.
What tile appears after a 2048 move?
After a move that changes the board, one random empty cell receives a 2 with 90% probability or a 4 with 10% probability.
When is 2048 game over?
Game over occurs when all 16 cells are filled and there are no equal horizontal or vertical neighbors that can merge.
Does this 2048 game save the best score?
No. The current code shows Best for the active page session, but it does not save that value to localStorage and it resets after reload.
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