The goal
Merge tiles until a 2048 tile appears (winning at the 2048 tile). You can keep playing afterward for a bigger tile and a higher score.
The board
The board is a 4×4 grid of 16 cells. A new game starts with two tiles on it, each a 2 or a 4.
Sliding
Swipe on a touch screen, press an arrow key or tap a direction button. Every tile slides as far as it can in that direction, until it reaches the edge or another tile. A move that changes nothing is ignored: no new tile appears and nothing is counted (which tile appears after each move).
Merging
When two tiles with the same number collide, they merge into one tile with double the value. Each tile merges at most once per move, so a new tile cannot merge again until the next move (how tiles merge).
Example: a row of 2, 2, 2 and an empty cell, slid left, becomes 4, 2, because only the pair nearest the left edge merges (three matching tiles in a row).
New tiles
After every move that changes the board, a new tile appears in a random empty cell. It is a 2 nine times in ten and a 4 one time in ten.
Scoring
Each merge adds the value of the tile it makes to your score, so merging two 8s adds 16 (how 2048 is scored). Your personal best is saved in this browser.
Undo and the end of the game
Undo steps back up to 100 moves (how many moves you can undo). The game ends when the board is full and no two matching tiles touch, so no direction changes anything (when 2048 is game over).
Putting the rules to work
The rules fit in a minute, but a tidy board is what reaches 2048. The 2048 strategy guide explains the corner method, or play 2048 free with saved progress and no sign-up.
2048 rules questions
How do tiles merge in 2048?
Slide two tiles with the same number into each other and they become one tile of double the value. A tile merges at most once per move.
Read the full answer →What happens with three matching tiles in a row in 2048?
Only one pair merges. The two tiles nearest the side you slide toward combine, and the third stays beside the new tile.
Read the full answer →Which tile appears after each move in 2048?
A new tile appears in a random empty cell: a 2 nine times in ten, or a 4 one time in ten. A move that changes nothing adds no tile.
Read the full answer →How is the score calculated in 2048?
Each merge adds the value of the tile it creates to your score. Merging two 8s makes a 16 and adds 16 points. Sliding adds nothing.
Read the full answer →Do you win 2048 when you reach the 2048 tile?
Yes. You win when a 2048 tile appears, and you can keep playing afterward to chase a bigger tile and a higher score.
Read the full answer →When is 2048 game over?
The game ends when the board is full and no two matching tiles touch, so no move in any direction can change the board.
Read the full answer →How many moves can you undo in 2048?
Undo steps back up to 100 moves, restoring the board and score each time. Your personal best score is kept even if you undo.
Read the full answer →Play 2048 free →Your game is saved in this browser. No sign-up.