Well, you thought 2048 was as hard, and addictive as puzzle games got. You haven’t yet come across 16384.

16384 is 2048, except the board is four times larger. I’m talking about 64 slots to worry about, and 64 slots that you have to fill to lose. It’s a four-times bigger board, but whether it’s four times as fun? That’s up to you to decide. Play it here , or read on to learn about what’s so great about 2048.

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2048 – Proof-of-concept for open-source

For most people, 2048 is simply a fun, addictive game, but for the programming world, 2048 is a triumph in engineering – proof that open-source (making the game, and the code, freely available to all) can work as a gaming model.



How Most Games are Distributed

Most games are closed-source. A single developer develops and distributes the game, usually with the intention of making a profit. Billion dollar examples of this are the Halo series, the Call of Duty series, and the Mario franchise. This model is good for gamers, because the profit incentive ensures high-quality, high-tech games, but it’s restrictive.

Why 2048 is an amazing exception

2048 is the first viral, open-source game. Open-source, means that any developer in the world, can use the source code of 2048 for free, and can make their own version of 2048. That’s why dozens of popular variations have emerged. Most of the popular developers don’t starve – many make thousands of dollars in ad-revenue or donations, but open-source keeps a great game freely, available, and gives developers the freedom to explore their ideas and create new games.