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Build 2048 in the Age of AI

Design the 2048 Game Architecture

Explore the foundational steps in designing the 2048 game's backend architecture. Understand the 4x4 board representation, define the roles of core functions, and sketch the data flow in main(). Use AI to clarify design decisions and prepare for implementing game logic.

We'll cover the following...

Step 0: Run the work-in-progress version of the game

You’ve already interacted with the game as an end user. It’s time to move to the backend and start working on the codebase. Review the boilerplate code and note the overall structure. Utilize the AI Mentor to gain a deeper understanding of the code.

Python 3.10.4
# 2048: Design-First Skeleton
# In this course, we'll build the full 2048 game step by step.
# For now, this file just prints a placeholder message.
# --- Function definitions (we'll fill these in future lessons) ---
def create_initial_board() -> list[list[int]]:
    """Return a 4x4 board with starting tiles for 2048."""
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 2
    raise NotImplementedError("create_initial_board is not implemented yet.")
def render_board(board: list[list[int]]) -> str:
    """Return a string representation of the 4x4 board."""
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 3
    raise NotImplementedError("render_board is not implemented yet.")
def compress_row(row: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """Slide non-zero tiles to the left. No merging here."""
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 4
    raise NotImplementedError("compress_row is not implemented yet.")
def merge_row(row: list[int]) -> tuple[list[int], int]:
    """Merge tiles in a row (after compression) and return (new_row, score_gained)."""
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 5
    raise NotImplementedError("merge_row is not implemented yet.")
def move_board(board: list[list[int]], direction: str) -> tuple[list[list[int]], int, bool]:
    """
    Apply a move ('left', 'right', 'up', 'down') to the board.
    Return (new_board, score_gained, moved_flag).
    """
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 6
    raise NotImplementedError("move_board is not implemented yet.")
def check_game_state(board: list[list[int]], target: int = 2048) -> str:
    """
    Return 'ongoing', 'won', or 'lost' depending on the board state.
    """
    # TODO: implement in Lesson 7
    raise NotImplementedError("check_game_state is not implemented yet.")
# --- main function that will grow across the course ---
def main() -> None:
    print("=== 2048 — Work in Progress ===")
    print("In this lesson, we're only designing the game.")
    print("The functions are defined but not implemented yet.")
    print()
    print("Next lessons will gradually make this game playable!")
# Entry point
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

You can run this and see the placeholder text. The important thing is that you see the structure and main() as the entry point.

Step 1: Understand the board representation and invariants

A few initial thoughts to consider:

  • The board will always be a 4×4 grid.

  • We’ll represent it as list of lists, where 0 means empty, and other integers are tile values like 2, 4, 8.

  • Each row of the board is a list of length four.

Python
board = [
 [0, 0, 0, 0],
 [0, 0, 2, 0],
 [0, 0, 0, 0],
 [0, 0, 0, 4]
]

Can you imagine what this board will look like to the end user if rendered correctly on the screen?

Board view for the end user
Board view for the end user

Let’s have a conversation with your AI copilot about the representation of the board.

Prompt hint: I am designing a 2048 game in Python on a fixed 4×4 grid.

  • The board will always be a list of 4 lists.

  • Each inner list has 4 integers.

  • 0 means “empty cell;” positive powers of 2 (2, 4, 8, ...) are tiles.

In your own words, explain why this board representation (a 4×4 list of lists of ints with 0 as empty) is a good choice. Include:

  • How I will access or change a single cell.

  • How this structure will make it easier to write functions later (like moving tiles or checking for game over).

Keep the explanation short (5–7 sentences) and do not write any code yet.

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Step 2: Design the responsibilities for each function

In the previous lesson, you played the game. We reverse-engineered the game to identify a set of functions that, if designed well, can implement its behavior. Now review the code below. The goal is to define the responsibility of each function. This reflects a modular approach to software development. For each function, infer from its name what it should do, what inputs it requires, and what output it produces.

Python 3.10.4
# In this file, your job is to THINK, not code.
# Read each function and, in a comment, describe:
# - What it should do (in plain English)
# - What its inputs and outputs are (in your own words)
def create_initial_board() -> list[list[int]]:
    """
    TODO: In your own words, describe what this function should do.
    Example: "Create a 4x4 board and place the starting tiles ..."
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def render_board(board: list[list[int]]) -> str:
    """
    TODO: Describe what 'rendering the board' means for a CLI game.
    What does the returned string look like?
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def compress_row(row: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """
    TODO: Explain what 'compressing a row' means WITHOUT talking about merging.
    Only sliding tiles. Give one example in a comment.
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def merge_row(row: list[int]) -> tuple[list[int], int]:
    """
    TODO: Explain what 'merging a row' means AFTER compression.
    What does the returned int represent?
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def move_board(board: list[list[int]], direction: str) -> tuple[list[list[int]], int, bool]:
    """
    TODO: Describe what this function should accomplish for the whole 4x4 board.
    Hint: think about calling compress_row and merge_row inside it.
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def check_game_state(board: list[list[int]], target: int = 2048) -> str:
    """
    TODO: Explain the three possible results: 'ongoing', 'won', 'lost'.
    When should each one be returned?
    """
    raise NotImplementedError
def main() -> None:
    """
    TODO: In this lesson, main just prints a placeholder.
    In future lessons, main will call the other functions.
    Describe in a comment how main will eventually work
    once the game is finished.
    """
    print("Placeholder main")

Step 3: Sketch the data flow through main()

Once you’ve defined each helper function’s role, decide the call order from the main() driver. Can you sketch that call flow mentally? Once you have a rough draft, read the prompt below and paste it into the AI copilot.

Prompt hint: I am building a 2048 game in Python on a fixed 4×4 grid. These are the core functions I have planned:

  • create_initial_board() -> list[list[int]]

  • render_board(board: list[list[int]]) -> str

  • compress_row(row: list[int]) -> list[int]

  • merge_row(row: list[int]) -> tuple[list[int], int]

  • move_board(board: list[list[int]], direction: str) -> tuple[list[list[int]], int, bool]

  • check_game_state(board: list[list[int]], target: int = 2048) -> str

  • main() -> None

My goal is to design what main() will eventually do. It should:

  • Create the initial board and score.

  • Repeatedly show the board, ask for a move, apply the move, add a tile if the board changed, and check for win/lose.

  • Stop when the game is won or lost.

Use the above prompt in the widget below:

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Step 4: Lock in the skeleton main()

Once we have the design for the main function, let’s update the skeleton main() to reflect the planned flow, but we still don’t call any unimplemented functions yet (to avoid runtime errors). We just scaffold future lines as comments.

Python 3.10.4
# lesson1_main_skeleton.py
def create_initial_board() -> list[list[int]]:
    """Return a 4x4 board with starting tiles for 2048."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def render_board(board: list[list[int]]) -> str:
    """Return a string representation of the 4x4 board."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def compress_row(row: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """Slide non-zero tiles to the left. No merging here."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def merge_row(row: list[int]) -> tuple[list[int], int]:
    """Merge tiles in a row and return (new_row, score_gained)."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def move_board(board: list[list[int]], direction: str) -> tuple[list[list[int]], int, bool]:
    """Apply a move to the whole board and return (new_board, score_gained, moved_flag)."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def check_game_state(board: list[list[int]], target: int = 2048) -> str:
    """Return 'ongoing', 'won', or 'lost' depending on the board state."""
    raise NotImplementedError
def main() -> None:
    """
    Entry point for the game.
    Over the next lessons, we'll gradually:
    - Create the initial board and score.
    - Show the board using render_board.
    - Ask the player for a move.
    - Use move_board to update the board and score.
    - Add a new random tile after a successful move.
    - Use check_game_state to decide if the game is over.
    """
    print("=== 2048 — Design Phase ===")
    print("main() is currently just a placeholder.")
    print("In future lessons, main() will call the other functions to run the full game loop.")
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Run this. It still only prints text, but the comments in main() describe the behavior you’ll implement next.

By the end of the lesson, you have:

  • Run an executable (stub) game script with a real main() entry point.

  • Fixed the core invariants: 4×4 grid, 0 = empty cell.

  • Named and specified the 7 core functions.

  • Written or refined natural-language descriptions of each function’s responsibility.

  • Sketched the future behavior of main() and documented it in comments.

  • Used AI in two “safe” ways:

    • Clarifying the board model.

    • Articulating the main() behavior.

In next lesson, you’ll implement the first real functionality (create_initial_board) and, for the first time, make main() actually call one of their functions and print a real 4×4 board.