2048 strategy guide is here to show you how to get a 2048 win. 2048 is a deceptively challenging games that teases you with that one simple goal — just get a single 2048 tile. It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, so if you’re having trouble making it to the quadruple-digits, use these game 2048 strategy and tips to help you beat the game.
1. Corner Your Big Tiles
2048 is all about control. You need to control your tiles so you can get to them when you have a match, and you need to keep like-numbered tiles together.
The best way to do this is to corner your biggest tiles and try to keep them there. You can move back and forth between two corners to position things around, but you should try to keep your big tiles on one side.
I personally prefer the top side and use the top left and right corners. So I’ll move left and right when I want to shift things around, and I’ll press up when I want to move things toward the top, but I’ll almost never press down, unless it’s a completely controlled move and won’t get my large pieces stuck in the middle.
2. Avoid getting stuck in a box.
This is probably the worst thing that can happen to you in a 2048 game. What I mean is this: You’ve so far been a good boy or girl and kept your large tiles corned on one side of the board, and you’ve managed to keep them there. But, somehow, you’ve gotten yourself into the position where you can’t move from side to side like you normally do.
This could be a 4×1 (4 horizontal by 1 vertical) box, a 4×2, or (more commonly) 4×3. As you know, getting stuck in a 4×4 box means you can’t make any moves at all, so you lose. It’s possible to salvage a game when you get stuck in a 4×3 box, but it isn’t easy. It makes your life a lot harder and will only hinder your progress. So how do you stop that from happening?
First, STOP PRESSING BUTTONS! That’s right. In the game all about pressing buttons, the way to win this one is to stop, journey to Tibet and find yourself a monk, train in the art of meditation for 10 years, and then come back.
You need to keep a cool head and actually think your moves through when your board is starting to fill up. It’s easy to just press buttons because it’s so easy to get matches and combine things at the beginning, but eventually that’s going to get you in a hole, and the only way out of it will lose your control of tiles.
3. Look for patterns
Second, look for the patterns. Boxes usually form when you have one empty space in a 4×2 or 4×3 area — and that space is filled by a newly generated tile. When you make a move, ask yourself: after I make this move, what will the board look like?
If it looks like after you make your move a new tile could fill a box, look for an alternative. Try moving in a different direction so there is no way a new tile will form a 4×3 or 4×2 box.
While not every new tile in 2048 is a 2 tile, it’s a pretty safe bet that if you only have one square to spare, that new tile will probably be a 2. If you get in a tight spot and only have one or two squares where a new tile could pop up, try to arrange your squares so that a new tile will have access to a 2. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to save your game — for at least one or two more moves.
4. Multitasking is key.
When the tension is building and you’re getting close to a full board, it’s time to slow down and really strategize every move. When each new tile could be your last, you’ll need to get rid of multiple tiles at once to free up space. Try to position your tiles so that you’ll have multiple tiles next to matching ones so you can clear two (or more) with each of your moves.
5. Try button mashing.
I can’t personally vouch for this method, but some people have success pressing keys randomly. It’s pretty satisfying and can get you pretty far in a short time, so if you just need a quick 2048 fix you might as well take a few seconds and blast through the game.
It’s really the only game where you can have moderate success with little effort and zero shits given, minus the exception of every Soul Calibur game. And you never know — at a total time of 10 seconds per playthrough, you can play the odds for a win. Play the game for an hour, and that’s 360 games you’ve just played. One of those has got to be a winner.
If you put a dozen monkeys in front of a dozen typewriters for a thousand years, eventually they’re going to churn out Shakespeare — right?