Drop Merge

Quick start in 3 steps

1. Look at the Next block at the top.
2. Tap a column. The block drops to the bottom of that column.
3. When it touches the same number, they merge into a bigger one. Keep going and build huge numbers.

What is Drop Merge?

Drop Merge is a number puzzle in the family of 2048. Instead of sliding the whole board, you drop one block at a time into a column, like in a falling block game. Blocks with the same number join together and double. A new block can start a chain: one merge makes the blocks fall, they touch new partners, and merge again. Big chains give big points.

You play it free in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account. The running game saves itself after every drop.

The rules

The board

Classic mode has 5 columns and 7 rows. Tight mode has 4 columns and 6 rows. Blocks always fall to the lowest free place in their column.

Dropping

• Tap a column to drop the Next block there.
• You can drop into a full column only if its top block has the same number as Next. Then they merge right away.
• The small block next to Next shows what comes after, so you can plan two moves ahead.

Merging

• A block merges with every same-number block that touches it on the left, right, top or bottom.
• Two same blocks make double: 8 + 8 = 16.
• Three same blocks make four times: three 8s = 32.
• Four same blocks make eight times: four 8s = 64.
• After a merge, blocks above fall down. If they now touch a twin, they merge too. This is a chain.

Big numbers and clean-ups

When your biggest block reaches 2048, new blocks start at 4 instead of 2, and all 2s on the board are cleared. Each time your top block doubles again, the next smallest number is cleared too. This keeps the board moving. Numbers from 16,384 are shown short: 16K, 32K, 1M and so on.

Game over

The game ends when every column is full and no top block matches the Next number. In Daily mode it also ends after 60 drops.

Every button explained

• Score / Best: every merge adds the new block's value to your score. Best is your record for this mode.
• Next and the small block: the block you drop now, and the one after it.
• ↶ Undo: takes back your last drop. You start with 3. You earn one more each time you make a new top block of 128 or higher, up to 5.
• 🔨 Hammer: tap it, then tap any block to smash it. Blocks above fall and may merge. You start with 1 and earn one more with every chain of 4 or more merges. You can hold up to 3. If no column fits the next block, the game asks you to use a hammer before it ends.
• 🏆 Goals: a list of challenges, from your first 256 to a chain of 5.
• 💾 Save code: copy your progress as a code and load it on another device.
• 🔄 New: starts a new game in this mode.

Tools are only earned by playing. There is no "watch an ad for a hammer" here. On a computer you can also press the keys 1 to 5 to drop into a column.

The three modes

• 🎯 Classic 5×7: the relaxed main game. No limit, just keep going.
• 🔥 Tight 4×6: fewer columns and rows. Every drop matters. For players who find normal merge games too easy.
• 📅 Daily: everyone gets the same 60 blocks in the same order. Get the best score you can, then share it. A new Daily comes at midnight.

Tips

1. Keep big numbers in one corner

Build your biggest block at the bottom of one side column. Then stack smaller numbers next to it in order. Merges roll toward the big block.

2. Use the "after next" block

If the next two blocks are the same, drop the first one where the second can join it.

3. Set up chains

Put a 16 on top of a 32 that sits next to another 32. When a 16 joins the top, the new 32 falls onto the other 32 and you get a chain.

4. Don't block your columns

Avoid dropping a small number on top of a big one, unless a partner for it is coming soon.

5. Save the hammer for emergencies

One smashed block in the right place can open a whole column and start a chain.

6. Triple merges pay most

Three same blocks give four times the value in one step. Look for spots where a block touches two twins at once.

Where does 2048 come from?

The original 2048 was made by Gabriele Cirulli in March 2014, as a weekend project. It was inspired by earlier games like Threes and 1024, and it became a worldwide hit in a few weeks. Later, phone games mixed the 2048 idea with falling blocks, and the "drop and merge" style was born. Drop Merge is our own take: fair tools, a hard mode, a daily puzzle and progress you can carry to a new phone.

Is it good for the brain?

No game is medicine. But number merge games train a few skills in a fun way:

• Doubling and mental math: kids get very fast at 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and beyond.
• Planning: you think about where the next two blocks should go.
• Pattern seeing: you spot chain set-ups before they happen.
• Calm focus: there is no timer. Play one drop or one hour.

It is good for kids from about 6 years, for adults on a break, and for anyone who likes numbers.

What the game can and cannot do

• Your game, best scores and goals are saved in this browser after every drop. They stay when you close the page.
• If you clear browser data or change phone, they are gone, unless you saved a code first. Make a save code from time to time.
• The save code only holds your game data. It holds no name, no email and nothing about your device.
• There are no online leaderboards. Share your Daily score with friends to compare.
• In Classic and Tight the blocks are random, so two games are never the same. Only Daily is the same for everyone.

More number and logic games: 2048 (slide version), Ball Sort, Line Escape, Daily Sudoku.