2048 was created by Gabriele Cirulli, a young Italian web developer, and released as a free web game in March 2014. He published its source code on GitHub, which helped it spread, and it quickly became one of the most played puzzle games online. This page tells the short story: who made it, what inspired it, the debate that followed, and what the game contributed to merge puzzles such as Zertyzzle, our crystal-merge puzzle game.
The creator and the release
Gabriele Cirulli was a 19-year-old web developer from Italy when he built 2048. He has described it as a small weekend project. The game launched on the web on 9 March 2014 and was free. Cirulli added donation buttons rather than monetising it.
Because the code was published as open source, many people copied and adapted it. That is why there are so many versions of 2048, with different grids, shapes and themes.
The games that inspired it
2048 credits its lineage directly. The game's own page says it is based on 1024 by Veewo Studio and is conceptually similar to Threes by Asher Vollmer. Threes had been released shortly before as a paid mobile game, and it is generally considered the origin of the idea of sliding numbered tiles that combine.
The debate
The release of 2048 and similar clones sparked discussion. The creators of Threes publicly criticised the wave of copies, and in particular described 1024 and 2048 as close imitations of the idea they had spent a long time refining. Cirulli's side of the story is that he built his game as a quick experiment and credited what he knew of its influences. The discussion is a classic case of how easily a simple game mechanic can be copied, and of what credit means in game design.
Why people loved it
2048 hit a sweet spot:
- A one-sentence rule: swipe, equal tiles merge.
- Short, tense sessions with a clear goal: reach the 2048 tile.
- Free and instant, in the browser and then on phones.
- Easy to share: people compared scores and tricks.
Our 2048 strategy tips explain the habits that help you reach the tile.
What it left behind
2048 popularised a family of merge puzzles where you combine equal pieces on a small board. Games in that family change the grid, the piece shapes, the number of pieces needed to merge or the goal. Zertyzzle, for example, is a different take: you slide one row or column, and three identical crystals in a line merge into a stronger one, with levels, obstacles and a Zen mode. Our page on games like 2048 compares the two, and the page on the merge puzzle game explains the genre.
Zertyzzle is free and funded by advertising, and no ad interrupts a level. It plays offline, and it is available on Android, on Google Play; the iPhone version is coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented 2048?
Gabriele Cirulli, an Italian web developer, released it in March 2014 as a free web game.
Was 2048 based on another game?
It credits 1024 by Veewo Studio and says it is conceptually similar to Threes by Asher Vollmer.
Is 2048 free?
The original web version was free, and Cirulli published its source code. Many mobile versions exist with ads or purchases, so check the listing.
Why are there so many versions of 2048?
Because its code was published as open source, so many developers adapted it.
Is Zertyzzle available on Android?
Yes, on Google Play, from the Zertyzzle page. The iPhone version is coming soon.