Train 2048 is a merge game in the 2048 tradition with a train travel theme. It starts in a desert locale that features dry rock formations, saguaro cacti, and tumbleweeds near a train track and a basic steam locomotive attached to fuel cars known as tenders. The player must drop and merge colorful numbered blocks on the cars to create the coal that keeps the train moving forward on the track. Their ultimate goals are to travel to every locale, collect and earn coins, and achieve the highest score possible for the game.
As long as the player creates sufficient fuel, the train continues on the track all over the world and takes them to a wide array of places that include a jungle and a river valley. They generate the coal by simply merging at least two matching blocks that rest in adjacent positions atop the tenders to create higher-numbered blocks. With each merge, the game drops coal into the locomotive. If they fail by allowing the blocks to stack too high, they lose the game. They then receive coin winnings and must start over from the beginning in the desert.
Train 2048 helps the player with two boosters. The player can select a red balloon to carry a single block away from the train or a black, round bomb that destroys several blocks. If they need more boosters, they can use their coins in a general store.
