Four in a Row: Play Online vs Computer or a Friend

Play four in a row, the classic vertical strategy game known to many as Connect Four. Drop your discs into the seven columns and be the first to line up four in a row across, down or diagonally. Take on the computer at three levels, or play a friend on the same screen.

Quick answer: Click any column to drop a red disc to the lowest empty spot. Line up four of your discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally before the computer does. You can also press keys 1 to 7 to choose a column.

How to play four in a row

1. The board has 7 columns and 6 rows. Red and yellow take turns.
2. On your turn, choose a column. Your disc falls to the lowest free space in it.
3. The first player to connect four discs in a straight line wins.
4. If the board fills up with no line of four, the game is a draw. Players swap who starts each round.

Four in a row strategy

• Take the middle. The center column is part of more possible lines than any other, so start there.
• Watch for threats. Before every move, check whether your opponent can win next turn and block it.
• Don’t fill under their threat. If your opponent needs a space that is one row above the current top, avoid playing in the square beneath it.
• Build double threats. Set up two ways to win at once; your opponent can only stop one.
• Think in odd and even rows. In expert play, the first player usually wants threats on odd rows (counting from the bottom), and the second on even rows.

Computer levels

The easy computer often plays random columns. Medium looks two moves ahead, and hard searches several moves ahead with a scoring method that values the center and open lines of three. The hard level is a real challenge, but it can be beaten with double threats.

Connect Four is a trademark of Hasbro; this is a free version of the general four-in-a-row game. Like strategy games? Try tic tac toe, minesweeper or sudoku.

FAQ

Can the first player always win?

In theory yes: with perfect play, the player who starts in the center column can force a win. In practice, people and computers make mistakes.

Can I play with a friend?

Yes. Choose “Friend (2 players)” and take turns on the same device.

More free games and tools

See all of them on the QuickOnlineTips free online tools page and the free online games page.