2048 Around! is a merge shooter that combines graphics and play mechanics from the popular 2048 merge and Balloons Around bubble-popping games. Against a sky blue background, the player merges numbered colored bubbles on a grid of hexagon cells in a hexagon pattern that features four rows per side.
The player merges pairs of matching bubbles to create higher-numbered ones until they reach specific milestones using a rudimentary black pointer arrow shooter at the center of the shape, a projectile bubble and a line of dynamic, color-matched targeting dots. After each achievement, the game sucks the lower-numbered bubbles used in a merge off the top of the screen. It rewards points in the upper-left area.�
One of the player's ultimate goals is to perform merges across categories marked with lower-case letters. For example, they might start by merging two 2a bubbles to create a new 4a bubble. When they reach a specific number, the game switches them to the next category. For example, when they merge two 512a bubbles, they create a 1b bubble. Two 1b bubbles create a 2b bubble, and so on.
2048 Around! penalizes the player if they stack unmerged bubbles two close to the shooter off the grid. They must then start over. They can also restart the game at any time by using the lower-right corner gear button.
