How do you play Merge Number Blocks?
Take the number block floating above the board, drop it into one of five columns, and let it merge with equal numbers below and beside it to double its value. Two 2s make a 4, two 4s make an 8, and when the merged block touches another equal number the merges continue as a chain.
The rules are the same as the drop and merge puzzles often called x2 blocks. Unlike 2048 you do not slide the whole board: you place one block at a time and gravity does the rest. A block falls to the lowest empty cell in its column, and whenever a merge opens a gap, the blocks above slide down into it. The board is 5 columns by 7 rows, the block to drop floats above the board and the one after it is shown in the Next slot.
When and how do blocks merge?
When a block comes to rest, any equal numbers directly below, to the left and to the right are absorbed into it. Meeting one equal number doubles it, meeting two quadruples it, and meeting three multiplies it by eight.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| You drop an 8 onto an 8 | They become a single 16 in the lower cell |
| You drop an 8 between two 8s | 8 × 4 = one 32 |
| The merged block touches another equal number | Chain 2, chain 3 and so on, with a rising score multiplier |
| A merge leaves a gap | Blocks above fall into it and can merge again |
| The biggest number reaches 2048 or more | Every block of the smallest number vanishes with a bonus |
Each merge adds the new number to your score, multiplied by the chain count. The first time you make 2048 you also receive a bonus plus one extra undo and one extra bomb. Blocks of 1024 and above get a golden frame and are written short: 1K for 1024, 2K for 2048 and so on.
How do undo and bomb work?
Below the board, Undo takes back your last drop, and Bomb lets you tap one block to remove it. You get three of each per game.
- Undo: returns the board to the state before your last drop. You can undo up to three moves in a row, and making 2048 grants one more.
- Bomb: best spent on a small block stuck near the top or wedged between big numbers. The blocks above fall into the gap and may merge on the way.
- Automatic clean up: each time the biggest number grows to 2048, 4096 and beyond, every block of the smallest number disappears, and that small number stops appearing afterwards.
What modes are there?
On the title screen choose Endless, 2 minutes or Race to 4096. Each mode keeps its own best score in this browser.
| Mode | Ends when | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Endless | The board fills to the top | Slowly growing the biggest number you can |
| 2 minutes | Time runs out or the board fills | A quick score attack |
| Race to 4096 | You build a 4096 block (win) | Playing toward a fixed goal |
How do I score higher?
- Keep the biggest numbers in one corner. Put the largest block at the bottom of an edge column, half of it next to it, half again next to that, like a staircase. Small blocks arriving at the far end then trigger long chains.
- Look at the Next slot before you drop. If you leave a spot where the next number will merge, you clear two blocks with two drops instead of stacking them.
- Avoid two equal numbers side by side that have not merged. Something else will land between them. Stack one on top of the other instead so they merge vertically.
- Never bury a big number under a small one. A 2 sitting on a 512 keeps that 512 out of play for a long time. Pick one column as the home for small numbers.
- Use bombs as soon as you are stuck. On a half full board one bomb can start a chain that empties most of it. Undo is most valuable right after a drop into the wrong column.
- Making 2048 cleans the board. Every block of the smallest number vanishes, so a crowded board just before 2048 is survivable.
Controls
- Touch and mouse: tap the column you want and the block drops at once. Hold and move sideways and the floating block follows with a dotted landing marker; release to drop it there.
- Keyboard: keys 1 to 5 drop into that column counted from the left. The left and right arrows pick a column and the down arrow or Space drops. Z undoes, X arms a bomb and Esc cancels it.
- Buttons: the Undo and Bomb buttons below the board show how many you have left in a red badge. 🔊 at the top right toggles sound and ⌂ returns to the menu.
Best scores and the sound setting are stored only in this browser and never sent to a server. Share result turns your score and top block into a picture card.