The core implementation felt manageable once I mapped out the tile-shifting logic on a 4x4 grid.
Start by clarifying the requirements and constraints (e.g., board size, input method, win condition). Then outline a clean object-oriented design with a Board class and move logic, and finally explain the game-over detection algorithm. Emphasize modularity and testability.
Pro tip: Mention that you would separate the core game logic from the UI to make it testable, and discuss how you would handle edge cases like merging multiple tiles in one move. This shows you think about maintainability and correctness.
Ask about board size (typically 4x4), input method (keyboard, swipe), win condition (2048 tile), and whether to support undo. This ensures you build what's expected.
Represent the board as a 2D array (or list of lists) of integers, with 0 for empty cells. Consider using a class to encapsulate board state and operations.
For each direction, slide tiles, merge adjacent equal tiles (only once per move), and add a new random tile (2 or 4) after a successful move. Handle score updates.
Check if any empty cells exist or if any adjacent tiles (horizontally or vertically) are equal. If neither, the game is over.
Mention potential optimizations like using bitboards for compact representation or precomputing move tables, and trade-offs between simplicity and performance.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.