In 2048 you slide tiles to merge equal numbers, and a new 2 or 4 appears after every move. Random swiping gets you to 256 or 512. A steady plan gets you to 2048 and beyond, and it takes just a few rules.
Pick a corner and keep your biggest tile there
Choose one corner, say bottom left, and build your highest tile there. A big tile in the middle blocks merges on every side; in a corner it’s out of the way.
Use three directions, not four
With your corner at the bottom left, swipe down, left and right, and avoid up. Swiping up can pull your big tile out of its corner and let a small tile slip in under it. Only swipe up when there’s no other move.
Build a chain along one edge
Keep the bottom row in order, largest to smallest: 512, 256, 128, 64. When the smallest end merges, it can roll down the row into your corner tile in a few moves. Keep that row full so it doesn’t shift sideways.
Plan merges ahead
Before each swipe, look at where the new tile could appear and whether it will block your chain.
Merge small tiles near the far side of the board, away from your big ones.
Two moves that each merge something beat one move that merges nothing.
Don’t chase every merge
A merge that breaks your corner or your chain usually costs more than it gives. Keeping the board tidy matters more than the points from any one move.
Try the other boards
4×4 is the classic game. 5×5 gives you room to learn the chain without pressure, and 3×3 is a tough test of planning. Your best score is kept for each board.