2048 is a very entertaining video game available for both computers and mobile devices. The game mechanics are very simple, but winning is really difficult. It is also available for older consoles. You can choose to play via the web from your computer or to download the app for iOS or Android devices.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Ground Rules and Tips
Step 1. Learn the rules of the game
You probably already know how 2048 works, but in case you don't know this section explains the basic rules. This is how the original version of 2048 works, but there are actually a lot of variants and predecessors whose game mechanics may be different.
- Use the directional arrows on your keyboard or the touchscreen on your smartphone to slide the numbers in the game area in the direction you want. All the numbers visible inside their boxes will scroll in the direction indicated until they meet the edge of the game board or another number, in other words the numbers will occupy the free spaces available in the selected direction.
- Each time you make a move, a new number 2 or 4 will appear inside an empty box in the row or column opposite the direction you moved.
Step 2. The goal is to reach number 2.048
When, by making your move, two squares with the same value touch each other, they will be joined into a single one having the sum of the previous two as a value; for example two boxes with the number 2 will give life to a box with the number 4 and so on. The goal is to be able to create a box with the number 2.048.
Step 3. Play calmly and plan your next moves
Given the simplicity of the game mechanics, it is very easy to get carried away and start executing the moves as quickly as possible. However, if you want to have a good chance of winning you will have to try to counter this impulse and perform one move at a time only when you are actually ready to do so. Try to plan the next moves by trying to imagine what the game board will look like after making the current move or at least try to keep an eye on the behavior of the most important squares.
Step 4. Focus attention on the corners of the playing area
One of the most common strategies adopted by most players is to try to place the highest number in one of the corners of the board. It doesn't matter which one you choose: the important thing is to always focus the moves towards the same angle.
This game strategy works best when the chosen corner is part of a row entirely occupied by numbered squares. In this case you can move the numbers on the board to the right and to the left while keeping the box with the highest value fixed in the chosen corner
Step 5. Try to be able to merge as many boxes as possible at the same time
If there is a row with several similar squares, it is an excellent strategy to try to add them all together, in order to create many empty squares that will give you the possibility to better manage the following moves.
Step 6. Try alternating upward and rightward moves
One of the simplest strategies is to alternate moves up and moves to the right, until no square can slide in the directions indicated. At this point, move to the left, then resume with the game strategy based on alternating moves up and to the right. Obviously a strategy of this type does not guarantee victory, but it often allows you to reach very high scores and to beat your personal best from time to time.
Part 2 of 2: Strategy Guide
Step 1. Scroll the boxes left and right several times (optional)
Start a new game, then start doing a sequence of moves left and right. Adopt this strategy until you fill two lines of the board with the numbers 2, 4 and 8. This is a step that is not mandatory, but it normally serves to create a scenario in which it is possible to reach the first high number in a short period of time. weather.
Step 2. Create the box with the highest value in one of the corners of the game board
Combine the previous boxes to get a 16 or a 32 and move it to a corner of the play area. The goal of this type of strategy is to keep the square with the highest number stuck in a corner of the game board for as many moves as possible while increasing its value.
This strategy was used to win at 2048 by setting the world speed record, which led to the creation of the box with the number 2048 in 1 minute and 34 seconds
Step 3. Keep the row of the board where the box with the highest value is always fully occupied
For example, if the highest number is placed in the upper right corner of the play area, try to fill in the first row of the board. Alternating moves in sequence towards the two directions in which the angle you have chosen to use is located (in the example "up" and "right") is a great way to quickly reach the indicated goal. When the specified row of the board is complete you can move left and right by adopting the sequence you prefer. This way you will not run the risk of the box with the highest number moving away from the corner where you have chosen to place it.
Always keep an eye on the row of the board in question, trying to properly fill in the empty spaces that will be created from time to time, without moving the highest number from the corner in which you have positioned it
Step 4. Focus on combining the boxes with the lowest numbers
Most of the game time the main objective is to create squares with the values 8, 16 and 32, rather than trying to increase the value of a single square. In the ideal situation, these boxes should be created near the corner of the board that you have chosen as the focus of your game strategy. This way you are more likely to have several squares combine together, resulting in higher and higher numbers than focusing on growing a single square.
Step 5. Try to focus attention on the small number locked boxes
Often things don't go as planned and you may find yourself with boxes containing the numbers 2 or 4 stuck among others with high numbers like 256 and 64 or similar combinations. When you get to this point it is best to stop and carefully study the game board to be able to calmly plan each move with the aim of freeing as many boxes as possible. You can use a couple of different tactics:
- Choose one of the boxes next to the locked one and try to plan how to delete it. If it is a square containing a large number, you will have to plan a sequence of moves to reach the goal. When you manage to move the square in question next to one with the same value, move it towards the latter so that they add up to each other, freeing up a space on the grid.
- Alternatively, try to clear one or more boxes within the row where the smaller blocked numbers are by moving left and right until they reach another box with the same value. Normally this approach is not very functional if the game grid is very full.
Step 6. Move the box you moved to the corner only when you have to, then quickly return it to its position
In almost every game of 2048 you will find yourself forced to perform the above move. In this case, carefully evaluate all the moves you can perform trying to choose the one that will bring you the greatest benefits. Move in your chosen direction, then immediately retrace your steps so that the box containing the highest number returns to the corner you chose at the start of the game.
In some versions of the game it is possible to perform moves that do not move the game boxes, but are used to make a new number appear on the board. In this case you will not need to move the box with the highest value from the corner where you confined it, but it may still be necessary to do so if you are about to completely occupy all the free space and therefore you are about to lose the game
Step 7. Keep applying the indicated strategy until you win
To be able to win at 2048 you also need to have a certain amount of luck, so don't expect to succeed on the first try. If you find yourself in a situation where you are forced to move the square you have pinned to the corner of the board, and unfortunately the free space is occupied by a new square, the chances of winning will be very small. If you can clear 5-6 boxes or if the highest number on the board is 64 or 128, you may still be able to win. If this scenario occurs late in the game, defeat is usually inevitable, so it's better to start a new one than to continue with the current one.
