2048 slides numbers across a four-by-four grid with a single gesture in the direction the tiles should slip, and when two identical numbers collide, they merge into one higher value – the goal is simple, reach a tile with the number 2048 and beyond, if the board allows it. Control is purely touch-based, one gesture at a time, no other choice, which makes the game understandable within a few seconds and at the same time hard to put down, because the next move is always just one finger movement away.
The game was written by a single developer, Gabriele Cirulli, as a freely available open-source project inspired by Threes!, from which it took the basic principle of adding up tiles, but simplified the rules so they could be understood without reading any instructions. Within a few weeks of being published online, 2048 spread into dozens of clones and mobile versions and became one of the fastest viral gaming phenomena of its time, without any paid marketing effort behind it – it spread purely through people sharing links to show off their best result.
The game is free, with no payments blocking progress, which together with the simplicity of the rules explains the speed with which it spread among people who otherwise don't usually play games. The mobile versions in stores contain ads, but the core experience remains untouched and playable endlessly, because the goal is purely personal – to beat your own last attempt and get one round further than yesterday.
Why play: Worth it for anyone looking for a short, free puzzle game with no pressure to pay, ideal for a few minutes any time.
Game 33 of 363 for Mobil (iOS a Android)
