[pithymaxim]

I think #5 is wrong. 2048 is based on numbers but has very little to do with math--you can play the game just as easily using only colors. At best students are learning the powers of two, and at worst they're wasting time they should've spent on chess or checkers, or basketball.

[jiggy2011]

The numbers make it easier to play, it's obvious that 2 4s will combine into an 8. Not so obvious what 2 colours or doges will combine into.

[judk]

It's more than that if you take moment to think about strategy and how many tiles and turns you need to make progress. It can be a very nice case-study in exponentiation/logarithm, big-O, etc

[dwd]

Try solving it algorithmically and you'll find plenty of ways to apply mathematical theorem.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22342854/what-is-the-opti...

[k__]

>implying math is about numbers

(but yes, learning the powers of two is only a tiny fraction of math)

[jonny_eh]

Why is time better spent on chess? Because it's somewhat social?

[pithymaxim]

Didn't mean to make that claim, but I'd guess that chess is better for cognitive development because its demands on working memory are limitless. This is speculative, but it's also speculative to claim that 2048 is any better for learning than Candy Crush.