Merge Shot

Shoot, merge, and chain your way beyond 2048.

puzzle

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Merge Shot is 2048 with a launcher: shoot numbered blocks into five columns, and every matching block they touch merges into a bigger one. Each merge can set off another as the columns close up, so one well-placed shot can climb several values at once. Reach 512, then 1024, then 2048 and beyond, free in your browser with nothing to install.

How to play Merge Shot

Choose one of the five columns and shoot the block you are holding. It lands at the end of that column.
Every block of the same value touching it — above, below, left or right — merges with it.
Two matching blocks make the next value. Three or four make the value two steps up, and five or more three steps up.
After a merge the column closes up, which can bring more matches together and continue the chain.
A full column still accepts a block that matches the one at its end.
The game ends when the block you hold fits in no column.

Scoring and levels

Each merge scores the value it creates, and every step of a chain scores again. The first goal is 512; reaching it takes you up a level and doubles the goal. New blocks are 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32, and you can always see the next one.

Controls

Tap or click a column to shoot into it.
On a keyboard, Left and Right choose the column, and Space or Enter shoots.
Close the tab mid-game and the same board is there when you come back.

Tips

Keep one column short. It is your way out when an awkward block arrives.
Stack values in steps — 64, 32, 16, 8 — so one shot can run the whole column.
Land blocks where they touch matches on two sides: three at once jump two values.
Plan the next block as well as the current one.

More on chains, ladders and the next block in Merge Shot strategy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Merge Shot free?

Yes. It plays free in the browser with no download and no sign-up.

How is Merge Shot different from 2048?

In 2048 you slide every tile with each swipe. In Merge Shot you shoot one block at a time into a column, and a block merges with every matching block it touches, so three or more can merge at once. There is more in what a merge game is.

What happens when three blocks merge?

Three or four matching blocks touching at once become the value two steps up — three 8s make 32.

When does the game end?

When the block you are holding cannot go in any column: every column is full and none ends with the same value.

Is my game saved?

Yes. Leave in the middle of a game and the same board comes back. Sign in to keep your best score on the leaderboard.