My daughter introduced me to 2048 a few weeks ago.
It's similar to Five Or More because it is a grid and you try to clear items from the grid.
I play Five Or More when I'm waiting on something for a few minutes, it's a nice little diversion, and most games only last a few minutes. I approached 2048 with the same idea - a nice little diversion that wouldn't take much time or thought.
I like the graphics of 2048 - the way the tiles move, the way the score updates, the colors. It's just very appealing. I like the the numbers in 2048 - binary numbers (2048 is based on 2s) are very familiar to me because I've worked with computers a long time.
However, I began to see that 2048 required more strategy and concentration than Five Or More, and I also reflected on how it mirrored many patterns in life.
First - playing it mindlessly and randomly becomes tedious because you don't do well. Second - playing it with the strategy recommended by my daughter actually became somewhat mechanical and boring. Finally - I realized that while it is a nifty little game, it's terrible time sink.
Having spent more hours than I can count or would like to admit to playing it I am still not very good at it. I don't want to figure out a strategy, or even to reflect on the one my daughter gave me.
What I learned:
- Like anything else, if you don't try, you won't do well
- Like anything else, you will improve with practice
- Spending time on harmless diversions isn't necessarily bad, but it takes you away from better activities like reading, walking the dog, chores
And on that note, I'm going to go do something useful ...