In this episode, we sit down with Gabriele Cirulli, who created the viral hit game 2048 when he was just 19 years old.
What started as a five-day coding experiment became a worldwide phenomenon, leading Gabriele through an unexpected journey of viral success, burnout, and eventually finding peace with his creation. After stepping away from the game for years, he recently quit his job at 1Password to work on 2048 full-time, launching a completely reimagined version with new features and improved performance.
Surprisingly, Gabriele shares his unconventional view on the thousands of copycats his game inspired, seeing them as a beautiful extension of creativity rather than theft. From dealing with the pressure of unexpected success to embracing an open-source mindset, Gabriele's story offers unique insights into what happens when a side project suddenly becomes a global sensation.
Check out Gabriele's Resources:
https://play2048.co
https://classic.play2048.co/
https://x.com/gabrielecirulli/
https://gabrielecirulli.github.io/2048
https://github.com/gabrielecirulli/2048
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielecirulli/
https://www.facebook.com/2048.by.Gabriele.Cirulli/
For questions or feedback:
feedback@play2048.co
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- (00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast
- (00:28) - Meet Gabriele Cirulli: Creator of 2048
- (01:28) - Gabriele's Favorite Game: Fortnite
- (02:11) - The Evolution of Multiplayer Gaming
- (03:11) - Gabriele's Journey into Web Development
- (04:58) - The Changing Landscape of Web Development
- (07:50) - The Viral Success of 2048
- (11:00) - The Inspiration Behind 2048
- (17:46) - The Open Source Impact of 2048
- (26:20) - Reflecting on 2048's Success and Burnout
- (26:59) - Moving to the Netherlands and Finding Normalcy
- (27:38) - Creating the Mobile App and Monetization Struggles
- (29:30) - Selling the Mobile App and Partnership with Solibon
- (30:32) - Changing Perspectives on Advertising
- (31:33) - Quitting the Job to Focus on 2048
- (34:22) - Developing the New Version of 2048
- (42:58) - Challenges and Feedback from the Community
- (48:32) - Exclusive Amazon Prime Version
- (53:39) - Future Plans and Closing Thoughts
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Check out our brainy games:
Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com
