# Hard 2048: Twin seeds

Twin seeds is the hard mode of this woodland. Tiles merge exactly as in Classic, but every valid move brings two new tiles instead of one. The board fills twice as fast, so the goal is 1024 rather than 2048.

## Play

The board sits at the top of this page. Choose Start your trail, then use the arrow keys, a swipe or the direction buttons. If the board does not appear, [open Twin seeds on the main board](../index.html?mode=twin#play).

## The rules of Twin seeds

- Board: sixteen cells in four rows and four columns.
- New tiles: two after each valid move, each a 2 (90%) or a 4 (10%). If only one cell is free, one tile arrives.
- Merges: equal numbers double, once per tile in a move.
- Goal: reach 1024.
- A blocked move does not add tiles or count as a move.

## Count the cost of a slide

```
Before: 2 2 4 .
After:  4 4 . .     +4 points
```

This move merged once, which removes one tile, but two new tiles arrive elsewhere on the board, so the board gains one occupied cell overall. A move with no merge gains two. Before each move, count the merges it makes: in Twin seeds, a single merge still leaves less room than before.

## Keep two cells open

With two arrivals per move, a board with only two empty cells can be full after one careless slide. Prefer moves that make two merges, keep your largest tile in a corner and build towards it along one edge. When no move merges, choose the slide that leaves equal tiles side by side for the next turn.

## Controls and saved rounds

Choose Start your trail, then use arrow keys, board swipes or the four direction buttons. Trail tip suggests a legal direction without changing the board. End round records an early stop; after an ending, New trail prepares another attempt. Your unfinished round and this mode's best score stay in this browser when storage is available. Changing a theme does not change a tile.

For the complete controls, read [how to play](../how-to-play.html). Compare [all thirteen games](../variants-guide.html), [browse every game](../games.html), or work through the [practice lab](../practice-lab.html).