2048 Game

2048 is a single-player sliding puzzle played on a 4x4 grid where you use arrow keys or swipes to push all the tiles in one direction1. When two tiles with the same number collide, they merge into a tile with double the value, and the goal is to build a single tile worth 20482. Each move also spawns a new 2 or 4 on the board, so the grid fills up fast if you play sloppily.

The game got compared to Flappy Bird for being brutally addictive despite looking like nothing much2. City AM described the flow as an "almost trance-like state" of sliding counters around at speed, with players struggling to stop thinking about tile combinations even after closing the tab3. It also spawned a small army of themed clones, from Doge2048 to a Doctor Who edition, plus Cirulli's own harder sequels aiming for 8192, 65536, and even 90071992547409922.

You play 2048 with arrow keys on desktop or swipes on mobile5. Every input shoves every tile as far as it will go in that direction, and any two identical numbers that bump into each other merge into their sum. Common convention is to keep your highest tile anchored in one corner and build a descending chain along one edge, since that gives you the most reliable path to 2048 without stranding a big number in the middle of the board.