Getting started with 2048 takes about five seconds. Here's how

How to play 2048

You have a 4×4 board and a few numbered tiles. Your job is to slide everything around and combine tiles with the same number. That's it—but keeping the board under control is where things get interesting.

On a computer, use the Arrow Keys to move the tiles up, down, left, or right. If you're playing on a phone or tablet, simply swipe in the direction you want to move.

Whenever two identical tiles run into each other, they merge into one. Two 2s become a 4, two 4s become an 8, and the chain keeps going:

2 → 4 → 8 → 16 → 32 → 64 → 128 → 256 → 512 → 1024 → 2048

There's one important catch: after each move, a new tile appears on the board. That means the empty spaces you have at the beginning won't stay empty for long. If you spend all your moves chasing quick combinations, you can easily end up with a board that has nowhere to go.