How to play 2048

2048 is as simple as it is addictive. The goal of the game, as well as the rules, are super straightforward. In this step-by-step guide, we'll teach you how to play 2048 and give you some tips and tricks on the best practices of the game.

Move tiles

The game consists of a 4x4 grid, and at the start of a new game, two randomly placed tiles will be present for you to move around. To move tiles around, you either use the arrow keys on your keyboard, the W, A, S, and D keys, or, if you're playing on mobile, you swipe the board in the direction you want the tiles to move.

If we tap left on the layout below, the two tiles will move as far left as they can on the grid:

After the move completes, a random tile will pop up someone on the grid. In this case, a four appeared next to the tiles that moved:

Build up tiles

Next, you need to know what happens when two tiles with the same value bump into each other. If a tile bumps into another tile and they're both of the same value, they will merge into a single tile, and the value of that tile will be the sum of those two tiles combined. Below, the tiles are moved down, and the two tiles with a value of two will bump into each other. They'll merge into a single tile, and the value of the tile will be added to your score:

The goal of the game

The game's goal is to get to the 2048th tile, so it takes some moving around to get there. You're more than likely to lose a couple of times before winning. You've lost the game once there are no more moves left. That happens when the board is filled with tiles, and no moves result in tiles being merged:

You've won the game once you reach the 2048th tile. Once you get there, give yourself a pad on the back! The game will congratulate you on winning and even let you keep playing to see how big a score you can get:

Conclusion

That's all the rules you need to know to play the game! Getting to 2048 can be a big challenge, but the feeling is worth all the effort once you manage! We've written a guide on how to win 2048 that contains loads of tips and tricks to make you much more successful in your endeavors. Good luck and have fun playing 2048!