How to Play 2048 - Step by Step

Last reviewed: 2026-07-06

---

2048 Game runs entirely on this page: the 4x4 board with two starting tiles renders the moment it loads, and your first arrow key or swipe is your first move. Here is each step from that first slide to a saved best score.

Step 1 - slide the tiles

Use the arrow keys or WASD on a keyboard, swipe anywhere on the board on a phone, or tap the on-screen pad. Every move slides ALL tiles as far as they can go in that direction.

Step 2 - merge equal tiles

Two equal tiles that collide merge into their sum - two 4s become an 8, two 8s a 16, and so on. Each tile merges at most once per move (two pairs of 2s become two 4s, never one 8), and merged tiles pop so you can see where the points came from.

Step 3 - plan around the new tile

After every move that changed the board, a new 2 appears on a random empty cell - about one time in ten it is a 4 instead. Moves that change nothing are ignored and spawn nothing, so you cannot pass a turn.

Step 4 - the end, or not

The board is over only when no move would change anything: no empty cell and no adjacent equal pair. Press Space or tap the board to start a new one. Building the 2048 tile flips the status line to a keep-going message - play continues for a higher score. There is no undo.

Step 5 - fullscreen and your best

The Fullscreen button puts the board on your whole screen with the score line still visible; Escape brings the page back. Your best score is stored in this browser's local storage, so it is there after a reload - clearing site data clears it.

Wondering how this compares with installing an app? See 2048 in the browser vs an installed app. For when the browser board fits best, see when to play 2048 in the browser.

← Back to games

Last updated: Jul 7, 2026