What is the Correct Tile Movement Algorithm for the 2048 Game?

Correct Tile Movement for a 2048 Game

In the popular 2048 game, tiles representing different numerical values move and merge according to specific rules. Understanding the correct tile movement algorithm is crucial for replicating this behavior in digital versions of the game.

Merge Issue

One common challenge developers face is handling the merging of tiles. Naive approaches may allow tiles to merge multiple times, leading to incorrect game behavior. For example, 2[4] with the move down ('d') should result in 0[4], but with unrestricted merging, 0[8] might occur instead. Similarly, 48 with move down should result in 08, but merging should not halt after the first merge.

Scan Direction

The key to resolving the merging issue lies in scanning the tiles in the opposite direction of the player's move. By doing so, tiles are merged only in the direction they are moved. For instance, in a move down scenario, the bottom-to-top scan ensures that merges occur only in that direction, preventing multiple merges.

Code Optimization

The code provided for processing tile movement involves substantial code duplication. Using a single for-loop that iterates through all tiles and then performing case-specific updates for different moves can significantly reduce redundancy and improve code readability.

Correct Code Structure

<code class="go">for i := 1; i < height; i++ {
    for j := 0; j < width; j++ {
        if board[i][j] == 0 {
            continue
        }

        switch input {
            case "d":
                updateBoardDown(board, i, j)
            case "u":
                updateBoardUp(board, i, j)
            [...]
        }
    }
}</code>

In this optimized code structure, tiles are scanned top-to-bottom and left-to-right, and case-specific updates are applied depending on the player's move direction. By scanning in the opposite direction of the move and consolidating loops, this code addresses the merge issue and improves code efficiency.

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