How to win at 2048: a simple strategy that works
2048 looks like luck, but a few habits turn it into a game you can win most of the time. Try them in 2048, which has a classic 4x4 board, a relaxed 5x5 board and a daily board.
The rules in one minute
Swipe to slide every tile as far as it will go. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one tile with double the number, and that number is added to your score. After every move a new 2 (or sometimes a 4) appears. You win by making a 2048 tile, and you can keep going after that.
Strategy
- Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there. Choose, say, the bottom-left corner and never move the big tile out of it.
- Build a snake. Keep the next biggest tiles in order along the bottom row, then turn up and back along the next row.
- Use two directions most of the time, such as down and left. Right is only for when you are stuck, and up is almost never.
- Merge small tiles before they spread. A board full of single 2s and 4s is where most games are lost.
- Do not chase a quick score. A calm, tidy board beats a risky merge.
When you are stuck
If you must use the direction you avoid, look first at which row will move. Never pull the row that holds your big tile if it has a gap. In the game you get three undos, so save them for a near-blocked board, not for the first mistake.
The 5x5 board
The larger board is more relaxed and a good place to learn the snake pattern. The goal is still 2048, but you have more room to recover.
Try the daily board to play the same sequence of new tiles as everyone else, and see more puzzles on the puzzle games page.
