Playing 2048 is like playing a simple but entertaining puzzle game. This game is fun for everyone, even those who aren’t particularly good with numbers. Arrow keys or W, A, S, and D keys can be used to navigate the 4×4 grid. When you press a key, all of the tiles move. When two cells with the same value intersect, they’ll combine into one. There’s always going to be some element of luck involved, even if there is the best way to play. Try to complete the game with a lower score if you want to truly master it. This implies you can accomplish your goal in fewer steps.
The grid used in 2048 is 4 squares by 4. During each “turn,” the player presses an arrow key and the square blocks slide in one of four directions (up, down, left, right) Each turn, a block with a value of either 2 or 4 will appear in a vacant cell. As a square is touched by another block or reaches the boundary of the grid, it slides in that direction until it stops. Connected squares of the same value add up to the value of the larger square formed by their union (the double value). After a square is formed, it can’t be merged with another block in a single step. For convenience, squares with varying values will be rendered in distinct hues.
The player’s standing is displayed on a scoreboard in the top right corner of the screen. The first tally is 0. When two squares join together, the player receives a bonus equal to the sum of their original values. The all-time high score is displayed next to the current score.
The game is over when the player makes a square with a value of 2048. The game isn’t over yet, though; the player can keep going if he or she wants to try for a score higher than 2048. A game finishes when there are no more legal movements (no empty cells and all neighboring tiles have different values).
