Although luck plays a role in 2048 because new tiles appear in unpredictable locations, strategy is extremely important. Successful players usually develop a plan for controlling the board.

One common strategy is to choose a corner where the largest tile will remain. For example, a player may decide to keep the largest tile in the bottom-left corner. Once that decision is made, the player tries to avoid moving the largest tile away from that position. Smaller tiles can then be arranged around it.

Another important principle is to maintain an organized board. If large and small tiles are placed randomly, the player can quickly lose control. Instead, tiles can be arranged in a pattern that makes future combinations easier. Some players attempt to create a descending sequence of values along a row or column.