2048
Slide the tiles: two matching tiles merge into one double tile. Reach the 2048 tile, then go beyond it.
One challenge a day, the same for everyone
The day's grid is drawn from the date: the same sequence of tiles for everyone. Reach the 256 tile on the day's grid to complete the challenge.
- The same grid for everyone, until midnight in your device's time zone.
- Reaching the 256 tile completes the challenge; you can keep going afterward.
- The shared result is “tile 256,” never your grid.
- Completing a challenge, any of the four, extends your streak by one day.
The Free play / Daily challenge toggle sits at the very top of the board. The challenge never touches your free-play best scores, and free play stays unlimited.
Five steps to your first game
- Slide in a direction. All the tiles move as one block; use the arrow keys, WASD or ZQSD, or the pad below the grid.
- Merge the pairs. Two tiles of the same value that meet merge into their double.
- A tile appears. After every move that shifts something, a new tile (2, sometimes 4) pops up.
- Keep room open. Park the big tiles in a corner; a full grid with no possible merge ends the game.
- Reach 2048. Add up 2, 4, 8, 16… all the way to 2048. Nothing stops you from aiming higher afterward.
What you need to understand
One input for every way to play
Mouse and trackpad
The directional pad below the grid moves the tiles. “New game” starts another one.
Touch screen
Swipe the grid in a direction to move the tiles; the pad stays available.
Keyboard
The arrow keys, or W A S D, or Z Q S D. The grid is marked as an application: put the focus on it first with Tab if needed.
Five things you only learn by playing
- Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there; move it only as a last resort.
- Favor two directions (for example down and left) to keep the big tiles lined up.
- Don't fill the grid at random: one stray tile in the wrong spot blocks merges.
- A new tile only appears if your move shifted something; a move that changes nothing doesn't “skip” your turn.
- Reaching 2048 doesn't stop the game: you can aim for 4096 as long as moves remain.
2048, in detail
When you slide, two neighboring tiles of the same value that meet merge into a single tile worth their sum. A tile that has already merged during the same move does not merge a second time.
After every move that shifted at least one tile. It is worth 2 most of the time, 4 now and then, and pops up in a random empty cell.
When the grid is full and no merge is possible anymore. Reaching 2048 does not end the game: you can keep going.
It is the highest tile you have ever reached, remembered only if you accepted the “preferences” category.
Yes: the arrow keys, W A S D, or Z Q S D move the tiles. On a phone, a swipe or the directional pad does the same thing.
The day's grid draws its tiles from the date: the same seed for everyone. Reaching the 256 tile completes the challenge; the shared result never includes your grid.
2048 was created by Gabriele Cirulli and released as open-source software, inspired by the games Threes and 1024. “2048” refers to the game, not a company trademark. Our version is an independent rewrite.
No: as in the original game, a move is final. That is what makes every decision matter.
Keep exploring the site
All four games play right on the page, with no account and no download.