🧩 2048 Merge

How to play

2048 Merge is the classic sliding-block number puzzle on a 4×4 grid. Every move slides all tiles as far as they will go in one direction, and any two tiles with matching numbers that collide merge into a single tile worth their sum — two 4s become an 8, two 8s become a 16, and so on. After every successful slide a new 2 or 4 tile pops into a random empty cell. The run ends when the board is completely full and no merge is possible.

Controls

• Keyboard: arrow keys or WASD slide the board. Your move only counts if at least one tile actually shifts.
• Touch: swipe up, down, left or right anywhere on the board.
• Buttons: tap the on-screen arrow pad under the board — handy on phones and for one-handed play.

Tips & strategy

• Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile pinned there — chasing merges all over the board is how runs die early.
• Build chains toward that corner in descending order (1024, 512, 256...) so merges cascade instead of colliding.
• Avoid sliding upward if your anchor corner is at the bottom — one careless swipe can strand your biggest tile.
• When the board gets crowded, count empty cells before committing: the player who keeps 3–4 spaces free lasts the longest.

Scoring

Every merge adds the new tile's value to your score — combining two 128s into a 256 is worth 256 points. Reach the 2048 tile to win the run; you can keep playing afterward for an even bigger score. Your best score is saved in this browser between visits.