How to play 2048
Make a 2048 tile.
Rules for the Solve Meadow edition. Examples are constructed lessons, not today's answers. How these guides are made.
Make your first move
Swipe or press an arrow key. Every tile slides together.
Swipe the board, use arrow keys or the direction buttons. Each tile merges once per move. New tiles appear after valid moves. Points add the value of every merge. The daily 0–100 result measures your largest tile, with hint penalties. No undo.
A quick example
2 + 2 becomes 4. Two 4s become 8.
Two pairs merge, but a new tile does not merge twice
Imagine one row reading 2, 2, 2, 2 from left to right. Ignore the new tile that appears after the slide for this example.
- Slide left. The first pair of 2s becomes a 4.
- The second pair also becomes a 4. The row is now 4, 4, empty, empty, before the random tile appears.
- Those new 4s cannot merge again during that same slide. A later left move can combine them if the row still permits it.
Plan one slide ahead and keep spare cells. A corner strategy is a useful habit, not a guarantee: each valid move also introduces a new tile.
Why did four 2s not make an 8 immediately?
Each tile can merge only once per move. Two separate pairs make two 4s; another move is needed to combine those 4s.
Common mistake
A tile merges only once per move. A new tile appears after a valid slide.
Strategy to try
- Keep your largest tile near one corner and build a descending row beside it. A consistent direction makes the board easier to plan.
- Before moving, check whether a small tile will become trapped between larger tiles. Leave empty squares so the next spawned tile does not end your run.
Daily play and practice
The daily board changes at midnight UTC. Your first completed daily score is saved in this browser. Practice starts a separate round without replacing that result. There is no account or subscription required; JavaScript is needed to play. Progress is device-local and clearing browser data removes it.
Try the idea in a real game
Practice lets you explore the controls before attempting the shared daily round.