2048
Slide a four-by-four board, merge equal tiles and build toward 2048. Play a short browser puzzle with keyboard or touch controls.
By Calcr · Updated
How to play 2048
Move the board left, right, up or down with the arrow controls or a swipe. All tiles slide as far as they can. Adjacent equal tiles merge in the direction of movement, and a successful move introduces a new tile.
Merges and scoring
A tile merges at most once in one move. A row containing 2, 2, 2, 2 becomes 4, 4 after a left move; the two new fours do not merge again during that move. Each merge adds the resulting tile value to your score. Merging two eights adds 16 points.
Reach a 2048 tile to achieve the named goal. You can continue afterward. A board is over when no empty cells or legal neighboring merges remain. A full board can still have a legal move when equal tiles touch horizontally or vertically.
A useful way to start
Try keeping a large tile near a corner and building smaller tiles toward it. Check the whole board before changing direction: a move that creates space can also split a useful pair. This is a strategy suggestion, not a guarantee; new tiles introduce uncertainty.
FAQ
Why did a row of four twos not become an eight?
Each original tile merges only once per move. Two pairs create two fours.
Do the arrow keys always control the game?
Keyboard controls apply when the game is focused. They should not take over an unrelated form or calculator.
Is my best score an online ranking?
No. Best scores are stored in this browser. Clearing site storage or switching browsers can remove or separate them.
Calcr's board is a local browser implementation. It has no account, paid unlock or launch-time game advertising.