2048 Game

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Slide the tiles with the arrow keys or by swiping. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one with double the value. Every tile is a power of 2, and the goal is the 2048 tile, which is 2¹¹.

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How to play 2048

  1. Press an arrow key (or swipe) to slide every tile as far as it can go.
  2. Two touching tiles with the same number merge: 2 + 2 = 4, 4 + 4 = 8, and so on. Your score goes up by the value of each new tile.
  3. After each move a new 2 (or sometimes a 4) appears.
  4. Make a 2048 tile to win. The game ends when the board is full and no merge is possible.

The math behind 2048

Every tile is a power of 2: 2 = 2¹, 4 = 2², 8 = 2³, …, 2048 = 2¹¹. Merging two equal tiles adds one to the exponent. To build one 2048 tile from 2s you need 2048 ÷ 2 = 1,024 tiles of value 2, merged 1,023 times. That is why the game takes hundreds of moves.

Tile Power of 2
16 2⁴
128 2⁷
512 2⁹
1024 2¹⁰
2048 2¹¹

Winning strategy

  • Keep your biggest tile in one corner and build a chain of decreasing tiles along one edge.
  • Use mainly two or three directions and avoid the move that pulls the big tile out of its corner.
  • Merge small tiles early so the board does not fill up.
  • Think one move ahead: where will the new tile appear?

Powers of 2 quiz: 10 questions

Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Question 1 of 10
1. 2048 is 2 to what power?

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2. Merging two 256 tiles gives…

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3. 2¹⁰ = ?

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4. How many 2-tiles combine into one 32-tile?

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5. 2⁵ × 2³ = ?

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6. Which number is NOT a power of 2?

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7. Doubling 3 times multiplies by…

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8. log₂ 1024 = ?

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9. How many merges make one 2048 tile from 2s?

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10. Half of 4096 is…

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Frequently asked questions

Is there a trick to win 2048?

Keep the largest tile in a corner and build down along one edge. Avoid the direction that moves it out of the corner.

What happens after 2048?

You can keep playing toward 4096 (2¹²) and beyond.

Can I undo a move?

Yes, one move at a time with the Undo button.

How is the score calculated?

Each merge adds the value of the new tile, so making a 64 adds 64 points.

Does it work on phones?

Yes. Swipe on the board or use the arrow buttons below it.

Sources

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