Four in a Row
EveryoneAbout Four in a Row
Take turns dropping red and yellow discs into a standing grid. Four of yours in a line, across, up or on a slant, wins. Quick enough for a seven-year-old and deep enough for a grown-up: play the computer at three strengths, take turns on one device, or open a room and play a friend. Whoever went second goes first next game, and the wins are counted.
Four in a row is played on a standing grid seven columns wide and six tall. Players take turns dropping a disc into a column, where it falls to the lowest free hole. The first to line up four of their own discs, across, up and down or on a slant, wins. If the grid fills with no line of four, the game is a draw.
Tips
- The middle column is the strongest place to start. More lines of four pass through it than any other column.
- Before every move, check whether your opponent has three in a line with a gap. Fill the gap first.
- Look for a move that makes two threats at once. Your opponent can only block one of them.
- Be careful dropping into a column directly under a square your opponent needs: you may hand them the square on top.
- Slanting lines are the easiest to miss, for both of you. Check them twice.
Questions
- Can I play four in a row against the computer?
- Yes, at easy, medium or hard. Easy misses a block now and then, so it is a fair match for young children.
- Can two people play on one device?
- Yes. Choose Same device and take turns tapping the columns. The wins are counted while you keep playing.
- Who goes first?
- Red starts the first game, and after that whoever went second goes first next time.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Four in a row is free in your browser, with no download and no account needed.
- Can I play a friend online?
- Yes. Open a room and share its code, and your friend joins from their own device.
