How to play
Four in a Row is played on an upright grid with seven columns and six rows. Two players take turns dropping a disc of their colour into any column that still has room. The disc falls to the lowest empty spot in that column. The first player to line up four of their own discs in a straight line wins. The line can run across, up and down, or diagonally in either direction. If the grid fills up and nobody has four in a row, the game is a draw.
In this version red always moves first and yellow moves second. Red discs carry a white ring and yellow discs carry a dark dot, so the two colours are easy to tell apart even if you have trouble with colour. Pick vs Computer to play the computer, choose Easy, Medium or Hard, and decide whether you want to go first or second. Pick 2 Players to share one screen with a friend.
Rules
- Players alternate turns and every turn is one disc. You cannot skip or pass.
- A disc always drops to the lowest free cell of the column you choose. You cannot place a disc in a full column.
- Four connected discs of the same colour, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, win the game at once. Winning discs are highlighted.
- If all 42 cells are filled and there is no winner, the game ends in a draw.
- Undo takes back your last move. Against the computer it also takes back the computer's reply, so it is your turn again. In two-player mode it takes back one move.
Controls
Mouse
Move the pointer over a column and a faded disc shows where your disc will land. Click anywhere in the column to drop it. The whole column is the target, not just the top.
Touch
Tap any part of a column to drop a disc. The board fills the width of a phone screen, so the columns are wide enough to tap comfortably.
Keyboard
- Tab moves focus to the board.
- ← and → choose a column. A faded disc follows your choice.
- Enter, Space or ↓ drops a disc into the chosen column.
- 1 to 7 drop a disc straight into that column, counting from the left.
Tips and strategy
- Start in the middle. The centre column is part of more possible lines than any other, so centre discs give you the most options. Opening in the centre is also what lets the first player play for a win.
- Build two threats at once. One threatened four is easy to block. A move that creates two different winning spots at the same time cannot be stopped, because your opponent can only block one.
- Watch the spot above a threat. A winning spot that is not yet playable is still dangerous. If you drop a disc underneath it, your opponent can drop in on top and win. Try not to play under your opponent's threats.
- Think about rows. Counting rows from the bottom, threats on odd rows (1, 3 and 5) tend to favour the player who moves first, and threats on even rows tend to favour the player who moves second. As a rule of thumb, aim for threats on your favourable rows.
- Check diagonals. Horizontal and vertical lines are easy to spot. Diagonals are where most games are lost, so scan both directions before every move.
Difficulty levels
Easy plays mostly random moves. It usually avoids handing you an immediate win and often takes a win that is on offer, but it does not plan ahead and it makes occasional mistakes. Medium looks a few moves ahead. It always takes a win in one move and always blocks yours, and it will punish careless play. Hard searches much deeper within a fraction of a second on every turn, so it sees forced wins and traps several moves away. Beating it takes real planning.
Frequently asked questions
Who moves first?
Red always moves first. Against the computer you choose whether you play red and go first, or play yellow and let the computer open.
Can I undo a move?
Yes. Press Undo to take back your last move. Against the computer this also removes the computer's reply. You can keep pressing Undo back to the start of the game.
Is the computer cheating?
No. It only looks at the same board you see and searches possible moves. Hard is simply a strong player. If it feels too tough, switch to Medium or Easy.
Can the first player always win?
With perfect play from the very first move, the first player can force a win by starting in the centre column. Finding that win takes exact play at every step, so in real games either side has good chances.
Is my game saved?
Yes. The game in progress, your settings and your scoreboard are saved in your browser, so you can close the page and continue later on the same device. Clearing your browser data removes them.
More free games
- Tic Tac Toe – the classic three-in-a-row duel.
- Checkers – jump and capture your way across the board.
- Memory – match the pairs in as few moves as you can.
- Minesweeper – clear the field without hitting a mine.
- Sudoku – fill the grid with logic.
- 2048 – slide and merge tiles.
- Block Puzzle – fit shapes into the grid.
- Word Guess – find the hidden five-letter word.