With the success of the numbers puzzle game Threes!, it wasn’t going to be long before other developers would come out with clones, knock-offs, or any other way to capitalize on the new genre. 2048 is one of these, and although the mechanics are more or less the same, the goal was altered in order to make the title, in a way, unique. Here’s our guide on how to play this addictive little game.
Gameplay
2048 is a numbers based puzzle game where in players must try and have a tile reach the number 2048. This is done by combining tiles that are in the multiples of 2 such as 2, 4, 8, 16, and so on. This is done by swiping tiles with the same values on them. This will create a new tile with the combined values of the two cards on it, as well as eliminating the two cards that were part of the combination.
Players will have to ensure that each move that they make counts, as each new move will have two new 2 cards appear on the board. Once the player’s grid is completely filled with cards and there are no more possible combinations to make, then the game will end.
Scoring
Aside from trying to reach 2048, players can also try and compete for the best score. Win or lose, the highest scores will be posted in the global leaderboards. Points awarded are based on the resulting tile after matches have been made. The value of this is added to your total score. Players should take note that players that have reached the goal would not necessarily be able to post the highest score, and thus players should try and make as many as matches of possible even if they are not capable of reaching the 2048 tile.
Tips and Tricks
Try and get rid of the lower valued tiles as quickly as possible. Having lots of low tiles would mean that there are a lot of items that will need combining in the grid. Remove these by making combinations in order to keep your grid spacious at all times. This will allow you to have an easier time to move your tiles around and make combinations that you want. This will also ensure that there are a lot of high valued tiles that can be joined in order to quickly reach the target 2048.
It is also very important to be able to position the tiles properly so that matches can be made much more easily. This involves having to rotate the tiles in such a way that new tiles should almost always be exposed whenever new tiles would appear. This means that higher valued tiles are grouped together and separate from lower ones. Once combinations have been made, move the tiles around by rotating tiles such that they would fall adjacent to each other, making combinations more possible.
Reaching that elusive 2048 will be difficult, and even seasoned players will find this as a challenge. Thus, the best thing that you can do is to try and make matches as much as possible until you are able to see the opportunity to reach your ultimate goal. This will enable you to reach a higher score despite not reaching the primary achievement. Just try and make matches whenever possible and the 2048 goal will fall naturally, plus you’ll also have the chance to get a high score that you can boast about.
Lastly, don’t forget to practice and to persevere even if you fail during your first few playthroughs. While 2048 is notoriously easy to play, the mechanics were designed to become increasingly difficult, as more and more tiles appear and the higher the value that you are trying to achieve. Try and formulate the strategy that would be most effective, and try to adapt your plans based on the outcome. In time, you will be able to score higher and higher, and while you might not get to really win in the game due to the extreme difficulty of reaching the target goal, you will certainly be able to exceed your personal best score time and time again with your improved understanding of this addictive but very challenging number based puzzler.