2048 (Rocket edition)

What is 2048?

This is the original 2048 by Gabriele Cirulli, the open-source game that went viral in March 2014, with its game logic unchanged and hosted under its MIT license. Slide the tiles with the arrow keys or a swipe; when two tiles with the same number touch they merge into their sum. Make a 2048 tile to win, then keep going.

We host it here because the license allows it and because the many ad-filled copies make the clean original hard to find. Your best score is saved in your browser.

How to play 2048

1. Press an arrow key, use WASD, or swipe to slide every tile in that direction.
2. Tiles with the same number merge when they collide. Each move adds a new 2 or 4 somewhere empty.
3. Reach the 2048 tile to win. Choose 'Keep going' to continue toward 4096 and beyond.
4. The game ends when the board is full and nothing can merge.
5. New Game restarts; your best score persists.

2048 tips and strategy

• Keep your biggest tile in a corner and never move it out.
• Use three directions and treat the fourth as an emergency only.
• Fill the row along your corner so forced moves can't disturb it.
• Build a descending chain next to the big tile so merges cascade into the corner.
• Before each move, picture where a new tile could spawn and avoid leaving holes next to your chain.

About this version

Nothing in the game logic has been changed from Gabriele Cirulli's original open-source release. The look is ours: a dark board that matches the rest of the site and a layout that resizes to fit any phone. The license and credit stay with the code.

2048 FAQ