# 2048

> Cirulli’s weekend browser game drew over 50,000 simultaneous players, he reported.

- Owner: Gabriele Cirulli
- Kind: Game
- Sector: Gaming
- Seed date: 2014-03-09
- Peak date: Apr 2014
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 47 (Notable), v1.2
- Mechanics: Maker origin, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy, Dupe economy

## Summary

Cirulli published a free browser puzzle and Hacker News users shared it. Players posted on Twitter, while developers remixed its open code. Copies entered app stores and Threes’ creators objected. Google’s monthly search chart peaked in April.

## Timeline

- 2014-03-09 — Gabriele Cirulli (Open web) — Cirulli released his free browser puzzle, which merged matching numbered tiles.
- 2014-03-10 — frederfred / Hacker News (Open web) — frederfred shared 2048 on Hacker News after Cirulli’s Designer News feedback post, the creator later recalled.
- 2014-03-12 — Gabriele Cirulli (X) — Cirulli reported that 28,000 people were playing simultaneously.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/2048

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “2048.” Case HIS-00848. Spread Score v1.2: 47/100. Updated 2026-10-15. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00848