- Players
- 1–2
- Time
- 250 moves, 3 min
- Stakes
- $1 – $100
- Fee
- 12% of the pot
In Nairobi, each player puts in $1. The winner takes $1.76 from a pot of $2. A draw refunds both stakes.
Where to play 2048
All cities
How to play 2048
The sliding number puzzle, made a fair head-to-head contest: both players get exactly the same tiles.
A 4×4 tray with two tiles. Every new tile is a 2 nine times in ten and a 4 otherwise, drawn from a seed sealed before the game.
- Swipe (or press an arrow key) to slide every tile as far as it goes.
- Two equal tiles that meet merge into one of double the value, and that value is added to your score. A tile merges at most once a move.
- Every move that changes the board brings one new tile. A move that changes nothing is not a move.
Rules summary
- In a duel both players play the same sealed seed at the same time: the same tile values in the same order, landing in the same place whenever that cell is free.
- Each player has 250 moves and 3 minutes; a run ends at either limit, or when no move is left.
- Practice: play on as long as you can; making the 2048 tile is the classic goal.
- Duel: the higher score wins; then the higher best tile; then fewer moves used; then less time used. A dead level duel is a draw and refunds both stakes.
Fair play and verification
Strong anti-cheat; stakes capped until it is proven
Before a duel the server publishes a SHA-256 seal of the seed that deals every tile; after it, the seed. Your device sends only your moves, and the server plays them itself from that seed, so the score is the server's, never your device's. Anyone can hash the revealed seed, check it against the seal, and replay both runs move by move to see that both players had exactly the same tiles.
- Your device never reports a score: the server plays every move itself from the sealed seed, so a score cannot be faked.
- The seed's SHA-256 seal is published before the game and the seed after it, so anyone can replay both runs and check both players had the same tiles.
- You see your opponent's score and moves as you play, never their board.
2048: questions and answers
What is 2048?
The sliding number puzzle, made a fair head-to-head contest: both players get exactly the same tiles. On Ariplex it is played online by 1 to 2 players in a web browser, on a phone or a computer.
Is 2048 free to play?
Yes. 2048 is open for free practice now, with no stake.
How do you win at 2048?
Practice: play on as long as you can; making the 2048 tile is the classic goal. Duel: the higher score wins; then the higher best tile; then fewer moves used; then less time used. A dead level duel is a draw and refunds both stakes.
How long does a game of 2048 take?
A duel is 250 moves or 3 minutes, whichever comes first, played by both players at the same time. Practice has no limit.
Will I play against a bot in 2048?
Not in a staked match. Staked matches pair real people by a hidden skill rating. Computer opponents appear only in free practice.
How do I know a 2048 result is fair?
Before a duel the server publishes a SHA-256 seal of the seed that deals every tile; after it, the seed. Your device sends only your moves, and the server plays them itself from that seed, so the score is the server's, never your device's. Anyone can hash the revealed seed, check it against the seal, and replay both runs move by move to see that both players had exactly the same tiles.
Is 2048 luck or skill on Ariplex?
Skill. In a duel both players get the same tiles from the same sealed seed, and after the same number of moves both boards hold exactly the same total, so the only difference left is how well each player merged it.
Top players
Open the 2048 leaderboardRatings move only in real matches against real people, and no place on the board can be bought.