Games like 2048, but with monsters

2048 is a perfect little puzzle, but once you have a method it stops surprising you. A roguelike adds what it is missing: danger, a different run every time, and choices that change how you play. Here are four games that combine the two, and how they differ.

We make Slide & Slay, so we are not neutral about it. We have tried to describe the other games fairly and to say when one of them is the better pick. Details checked November 2026.

Slide & Slay: play it right now

Our game. Slide & Slay keeps 2048's rule that every swipe moves every tile, on a 5×5 board, but the tiles fight back. Matching weapons merge and double in damage, and you slide them into monsters. Each monster has a counter that drops with every swipe, and at zero it hits you. A boss rises every 20 swipes, and beating one lets you choose a relic that lasts for the rest of the run.

There are 7 heroes who each bend a rule, 20 relics and 4 biomes. The daily dungeon gives everyone the same board and one attempt. It is the one to try first if you want to start today, because there is nothing to download or pay for. Optional purchases include gold and cosmetics, but the daily dungeon ignores upgrades.

RogueSlide: the closest alternative

RogueSlide has the same basic idea: slide tiles to slay monsters, drink potions and cast spells. It has been around longer than Slide & Slay, with three worlds, five unlockable characters, and Daily Dungeon and Arena modes. If you would rather have a downloaded game or an app-store install, it is a good choice. It was listed at $3.99 on itch.io, with a Halloween sale price of $1.99 when we checked.

Numbers Go Up: for deckbuilder fans

Numbers Go Up stays closer to pure 2048. You slide, merge and score, then buy mods between rounds that rewrite the rules. A run has 16 gates and then an endless mode, and you can share a code to race friends on the same board. The full game had not been released when we checked, but the demo is free. Pick it if you like Balatro-style rule breaking.

2048 Bosses: chasing huge scores

2048 Bosses uses your 2048 score as the weapon, and you combine skills and characters to build something strong enough to beat its bosses. It is a Windows game on Steam with a demo available, and Early Access was planned for 2026 when we checked.

What a roguelike changes about 2048

• Bad moves cost you. In 2048 you only lose when the board fills. With enemies on the board, a clever merge can still get you killed.
• You stop repeating one method. The usual trick of keeping your biggest tile in a corner gets harder when the danger is spread across the board.
• Every run is different. Relics, skills and mods change which moves are good, so a run you lost can teach you something for the next one.

Where it all started

Threes, by Sirvo, came out on February 6, 2014. A month later, on March 9, Gabriele Cirulli released 2048, which he wrote in a weekend and described as conceptually similar. If you only want a calm number puzzle, start with those.

Which should you play?

• You want to start now, on any device: Slide & Slay.
• You want a downloaded game or an app-store install: RogueSlide.
• You love deckbuilders: the Numbers Go Up demo.
• You want huge scores and broken builds: the 2048 Bosses demo.

Questions

Is there a roguelike version of 2048?

Yes, several. Slide & Slay and RogueSlide turn the tiles into dungeon fights, while Numbers Go Up and 2048 Bosses keep the numbers and add builds.

Can I play a 2048 roguelike in my browser?

Slide & Slay runs in a browser on phone and desktop with nothing to install. We did not find a browser version of the other three.

Is 2048 itself a roguelike?

No. 2048 has no characters, enemies or upgrades. It is a pure puzzle, which is what these games build on.

Did 2048 come before Threes?

No. Threes came out on February 6, 2014, and 2048 followed on March 9, 2014.