2048 Puzzle
2048 Puzzle brings the classic number-merging puzzle to the browser with a clean, dark-themed interface optimized for both desktop and mobile play. The game presents a 4x4 grid where you slide numbered tiles in four directions. When two tiles with the same number collide during a slide, they merge into a single tile whose value is the sum of the two original numbers. The objective is to create a tile with the number 2048. After each move, a new tile appears in a random empty cell — usually a 2 (90% probability) or occasionally a 4 (10% probability).
The game requires strategic planning: you cannot simply slide tiles randomly and expect to reach 2048. The most effective strategy is the "corner strategy": keep your highest-value tile in one corner (typically the bottom-left) and only move tiles in two directions (left and down). This prevents your largest tile from getting stuck in the middle of the grid where it blocks merges. We tuned the tile appearance probabilities and the grid size to match the original game's balance — about 4% of games are solvable to 2048 with optimal play, giving the game enough difficulty to remain engaging. The score is calculated as the sum of all merged tile values, and your best score is saved to localStorage. The game uses arrow keys on desktop and swipe gestures on mobile, with smooth CSS transition animations that make each merge feel satisfying.