How the game works
Each move slides every tile as far as it can go. Two equal tiles that meet merge into one worth their sum, and a new tile appears in an empty square: a 2 nine times out of ten, otherwise a 4. You reach 2048 by merging your way up: 1,024 + 1,024.
The corner strategy
- Choose a corner, for example bottom left, and keep your biggest tile there all game.
- Mostly use just two moves that push towards that corner, here down and left. Use right when you must.
- Avoid the fourth move, here up. It can pull the big tile out of its corner and leave a small tile under it.
- Keep the bottom row full, so a left or right move cannot shift the corner tile.
Build a chain
Line up tiles in falling order along the bottom row, for example 512, 256, 128, 64. When a 64 appears next to the 64, the whole row can merge into the corner one after another. Then start a new chain on the row above, running the other way.
Other tips
- Plan for where the new tile will appear: it can only go into an empty square.
- Keep small tiles away from the corner area, where they get trapped.
- Your score goes up by the value of each new tile you make, so the game rewards big merges.
Play 2048 with the arrow keys or by swiping; your best score is saved in your browser.