Threes
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About This Game
Play Threes free online. Slide tiles to merge 1 and 2 into 3, then merge matching numbers. The classic, charming number puzzle. Arrow keys or swipe.
How to play Threes
Objective: There is no win screen; keep sliding and combining tiles to push your total score, and your largest tile, as high as possible before the board locks up.
Threes plays on a 4x4 grid. Blue 1 tiles and red 2 tiles are the low pieces, while white tiles carry 3 and every value above it. The board opens with nine tiles already placed, each a random 1, 2, or 3. The Next panel above the board shows exactly which number will drop in after your next successful move, so you can plan where the new tile lands.
Move using arrow keys, WASD keys, the on-screen arrow pad, or a swipe on touch screens. Unlike other sliding games, every tile shifts just one cell per move, not all the way to the wall. A tile advances only when the cell ahead is empty or holds a number it can combine with. After any move that changes the board, the Next tile enters from the far edge, in a row or column that shifted.
Combining is strict. A 1 and a 2 next to each other join into a 3, and after that only two identical numbers merge, adding together: two 3s make 6, two 6s make 12, two 12s make 24, and upward. Two 1s never merge, and neither do two 2s. Only white tiles score, and their worth climbs steeply. Play ends when no direction can shift or merge anything.
Tips and strategy
Watch the entry edge
New tiles arrive on the edge opposite the direction you moved. Push left and the tile appears on the right side. Alternate your directions so one edge does not fill with stray pieces you cannot clear.
Pair ones and twos fast
Loose 1s and 2s never merge with their own kind, so they only leave the board by joining each other into a 3. Slide a 1 beside a 2 and combine them promptly instead of letting singles pile up.
Anchor your biggest tile
Since high tiles merge only with an exact match, park your largest number in one spot and grow its twin nearby. Keeping a 3, 6, 12 chain in a line lets merges cascade rather than stranding big tiles apart.
Nudge, do not sweep
Every move slides tiles a single cell, so one push rarely lines up a merge. Reposition with small repeated moves. Expecting one swipe to clear the board the way other grid games do will jam you.
The history of Threes
Threes was released in early 2014 by the small studio Sirvo, designed by Asher Vollmer with art by Greg Wohlwend. The team spent over a year refining its single-step sliding and the 1-plus-2 merge rule. Simplified clones appeared within weeks, the best known being 2048, which kept the sliding grid but switched merging to matching powers of two. Threes remains the original.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a way to win Threes?
No. There is no target tile or victory screen. The game runs until the board locks and no move can slide or combine any tile, at which point Game Over appears with your final score. The goal is to build your score, and highest tile, as far as possible.
Why will my two 2 tiles not combine?
Only a 1 and a 2 merge, and they form a 3. Two matching low tiles do not join. Above 3, merging needs two identical numbers, so 3+3, 6+6, 12+12 and higher all work, but 1+1 and 2+2 stay separate. That keeps stray 1s and 2s from clearing on their own.
How are Threes tiles scored?
Only tiles of 3 and above count, and each is worth more as it grows: a 3 scores 3, a 6 scores 9, a 12 scores 27, a 24 scores 81, roughly tripling each step. Your score is the sum of every scoring tile on the board. Blue 1s and red 2s add nothing.
Does Threes save my best score?
Yes. Your best score is kept in your browser's local storage and shown in the green Best box. It persists between sessions in the same browser, but it is not tied to an account and does not sync across devices. Starting a New Game resets the board while keeping your best intact.