Build 2048 in the Age of AI

Design and build the 2048 game from scratch. Learn modular problem-solving, use AI as a coding copilot, and ship the same game as a CLI and a browser-based web app.

9 Lessons

Updated 4 months ago

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The ability to build a modular, testable game engine using Python, following professional coding practices
Basic knowledge of how to use AI as a development partner for code generation, testing, refactoring, and translation, without outsourcing core reasoning
The ability to refactor and evolve a growing codebase while maintaining correctness and readability
Hands-on experience shipping a fully playable, portfolio-ready game with both a command-line and browser-based interface

Learning Roadmap

9 Lessons

Learn to Code 2048

Master the development of the 2048 game, from architecture to an app with AI as copilot.

Play the 2048 Game and Get an Overview

Design the 2048 Game Architecture

Creating the Game World

Rendering the Board

Sliding Tiles Left

Merging Tiles and Scoring

Moving the Whole Board

Win/Lose Detection

Ship It to the Browser: 2048 as a Web App

Certificate of Completion

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Developed by MAANG Engineers

Every Educative lesson is designed by a team of ex-MAANG software engineers and PhD computer science educators, and developed in consultation with developers and data scientists working at Meta, Google, and more. Our mission is to get you hands-on with the necessary skills to stay ahead in a constantly changing industry. No video, no fluff. Just interactive, project-based learning with personalized feedback that adapts to your goals and experience.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This course focuses on designing and building software systems using the game 2048 as a single, end-to-end project. The emphasis is less on syntax and more on the engineering process: decomposing a product into components, defining clear interfaces, and assembling them incrementally. The course starts from a fully playable version of 2048 and works backward to design the solution. The core game logic is built in Python, encompassing board representation, movement, merging, scoring, and game state detection. Throughout the course, you’ll intentionally utilize AI to generate helper functions, validate logic, create tests, refactor code, and port the same game engine across different interfaces. The course culminates in a capstone where learners convert their Python-based 2048 engine into a fully playable web app using vanilla JavaScript and HTML. By the end, you’ll have built a complete game, deployed it, and practiced an AI-augmented development workflow.

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