About this game
Four in a Row is played on an upright grid with seven columns and six rows. Two players take turns dropping a colored disc into any column; gravity pulls it down to the lowest empty slot. The goal is simple: be the first to line up four of your own discs in a row, whether that row runs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across the board. The rules take under a minute to learn, but the game rewards genuine planning, and it has been a favorite two-player strategy game for decades.
This version lets you play against a computer opponent tuned to three difficulty levels, or pass the device to a friend for a two-player match. The Easy AI makes occasional mistakes, Medium plays a solid tactical game, and Hard searches several moves ahead using minimax with alpha-beta pruning to find strong replies quickly. Four in a Row is also a mathematically solved game: with perfect play, the first player can always force a win by opening in the center column. A running scoreboard tracks wins, losses, and draws across your session.
How to play
- Choose vs AI or 2 Players mode, and pick a difficulty if you're playing the computer.
- Tap or click any column to drop a disc into that column's lowest open slot.
- Take turns dropping discs — you can't skip a turn.
- Line up four discs in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — to win.
- If the board fills completely with no four in a row, the game ends in a draw.
Tips & strategy
- Control the center column early — discs placed there sit inside the most possible winning lines.
- Block an open three-in-a-row the moment you see it; left alone, it's almost always a forced win for your opponent.
- Watch for double threats: a single move that creates two different ways to win at once can't be blocked with one reply.
- Before you drop a disc, check whether it hands your opponent the fourth disc they need on their very next turn.
Frequently asked questions
Can this game always be won by the first player?
With perfect play, yes — Four in a Row is a fully solved game, and the player who moves first can force a win by starting in the center column. Beating our Medium and Hard AI still takes careful, precise play, though, and Easy is deliberately tuned to be beatable for newer players.
How strong is the Hard AI?
Hard uses a minimax search with alpha-beta pruning that looks several moves ahead in under half a second, combined with a heuristic that rewards central discs and spots open three-in-a-rows before they become unstoppable. It plays very solid tactics, though its limited search depth means it won't always find the single best move from an already-losing position.
Can I play with a friend on the same device?
Yes — switch to the 2 Players mode and simply take turns tapping columns on the same screen. There is no account, no download, and no need for a second device; scores for both players are tracked in the on-screen scoreboard for the rest of your session.