#hatetris

So there's this number game called 2048 and it has apparently turned into a minor Internet sensation (at least in the corners that I lurk). All you have to do is combine numbers of the same kind (they appear in powers of two) until you reach 2048 (or 8192, the new final level).

I still haven't made it past 2048 (the most I've gotten was a 2048, 1024 and a 256 all placed horribly on the grid) but based on the hours I've wasted playing this thing I've picked up a couple of things:

Isolate the largest number you make on a single corner (my default one is the top right);

Try to keep the top row immobile (this locks your largest number into the corner);

Try to build up the numbers on the top row so that they join up to the large corner number naturally;

Alternating up/right (or any of their corresponding alternate directions) will usually end up with large numbers that correspond to the above-mentioned technique;

This is basically a Rubik's cube where you always have to get to the corner.

It's interesting enough to spark a Stack Exchange discussion on algorithmic methods for beating it. Here's one of the more effective AIs, with a 90% success rate.

Of course, this popularity has led to many variations of the game. There is a 3D version that consists of three grids where the numbers can possibly slide into each other, and a humongous version that goes to a really large power of two. For some reason, these versions seem to be easier than the original. Intuitively, this makes sense, since the additional number of possible moves greatly increases the chances of getting number pairs to join up.

Another Hard version is a competitive one that places the resulting value at the most disadvantageous position (similar to Hatetris, with a matching obligatory link to the related xkcd comic). This one is just cruel. I prefer this version, although it takes some practice getting used to which ones form the next pair.

EDIT 1: So I've made it to 4096.

The game tends to get really tedious at this juncture. The safest move set will entail building up the numbers starting from your largest number (top right corner in my boards) in decreasing order. So At this point, I tried building a 128, then a 256, then a 512... Then I made a mistake and it was game over.

Some other things I've noticed:

The way to build up blocks would entail forming an S-shape. It makes the new blocks appear away from the direction you want to move into.

It would really help to be able to simultaneously build up both the top/bottom and right/left sides. However, you have to balance this with the previously mentioned strategy.