2048

Game images by RAWG

2048

Gabriele Cirulli

Web browser; iOS; Android; Nintendo 3DS; Apple TV; KaiOSFree-to-play (original open-source browser release; many third-party mobile clones may include ads/IAP)

Health Score

MIXED

Official Website Watch Gameplay

About This Game

2048 is a single-player sliding-tile puzzle where players swipe or press arrow keys to combine like-numbered tiles (2+2=4, etc.) on a 4×4 grid to reach the 2048 tile; play can continue beyond that. The game is deliberately simple in presentation but requires planning and spatial/arithmetical reasoning, and it was released as free open-source software in March 2014. citeturn1search13turn0search3

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

3/5

Creativity

1/5

Pro-Social

0/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

0/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

0/5

Social Risk

0/5

Content Intensity

0/5

Negatives

•Can be highly replayable/addictive for some players
•many third-party mobile/web clones add ads or in-app purchases
•no cooperative or social learning features in the original.

Positives

•Simple rules make it approachable
•encourages planning
•pattern recognition
•and arithmetic reasoning
•short
•repeatable sessions suitable for practice.

Gameplay Videos

Part 1 - 2048 | Ball Run Infinity Piano Mode #games #ballrun2048level1000 #ballgames #gaming

Ball Games Hub

1 of 3

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Official Ratings

Not Rated

ESRB

None / No violence

No online multiplayer; generally no in-game purchases in original release (third-party clones may add ads/IAP)

PEGI

Non-violent puzzlesuitable for all ages

Age Recommendations

ℹ️Ages 3-5

Not recommended as an unsupervised activity for most 3–5 year olds — abstract numbers and required planning may be confusing; brief guided play could be fine.

ℹ️Ages 6-8

Generally OK with parental guidance; helps with basic doubling/number sense and planning. Use the original ad-free site or an offline version to avoid ads.

ℹ️Ages 9-12

Appropriate and beneficial — promotes strategy, foresight, and basic arithmetic; encourage timed, limited sessions and use the open-source/original build to avoid monetized clones.

ℹ️Ages 13-15

Suitable — offers deeper strategic challenge and practice in planning and patience; no mature content concerns.

ℹ️Ages 16-18

Completely appropriate for older teens and adults; good casual puzzle with low content risk.