Four in a Row

Strategy · 1-2 players

How to play

Take turns dropping discs into the columns; each disc falls to the lowest free spot. The first to line up four discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins. Play the computer at three difficulty levels or face a friend on the same screen.

1. 1Click or tap the column where you want to drop your disc.
2. 2The first to line up four discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins.
3. 3Spot your opponent's three in a row and block it; build two threats at once and they cannot stop you.
4. 4If the board fills up and nobody has four, the game is a draw.

About Four in a Row

Four in a Row is a two-player strategy game played on an upright board of seven columns and six rows. The rules take a minute to learn, yet the depth is surprising because every move reshapes the rest of the board: a disc dropped into a column opens the square directly above it for your opponent. Strong players think not only about their own line but about what will grow on top of every disc they release.

Against the computer you can choose three levels. The easy opponent looks only one move ahead and now and then misses obvious chances; it is tuned so that newcomers can genuinely win. The medium opponent calculates a few moves ahead but occasionally slips. The hard opponent searches at least eight half-moves deep and goes further while time allows, so beating it takes a real plan.

In two-player mode, Red and Yellow take turns on the same screen and a score is kept for the session. In games against the computer, wins, losses, draws and your winning streak are recorded separately for each level, and an unfinished match can be resumed later from where you left it.

Strategy and tips

• The middle column is the most valuable one, since most horizontal and diagonal lines pass through it. Opening in or right beside the centre gives you a share in more potential fours.
• Before blocking an opponent's open three, check whether your blocking disc creates a square above it; sometimes the defensive move hands them a winning spot one row higher.
• Build threats at different heights. If you create two winning squares stacked directly on top of each other, blocking the lower one forces your opponent to give you the upper one.
• As the board fills, count which column will close first. Getting the move count right lets you force your opponent into a column they would rather avoid.
• Do not waste early discs on the edge columns. The outermost columns contribute to very few lines and are usually only useful for defence.
• If you realise you blundered against the hard opponent, treat the undo button as a learning tool: take the move back, try another column, and watch how the outcome changes.

Frequently asked questions

Who moves first?

The screen tells you at the start of each match. Against the computer, sometimes you open and sometimes it does; in two-player mode the starting colour is announced as well.

Can a game end in a draw?

Yes. If all forty-two squares fill up and neither side has connected four, the match is a draw.

Can I take back a move?

Yes, the undo button or the Z key withdraws the last move. Against the computer its reply is withdrawn together with your move, and you get three undos per match; in two-player mode there is no limit.

Why does the hard opponent sometimes pause?

Before choosing, it calculates the possible continuations in depth. A thinking indicator is shown meanwhile, but the game never freezes because the work is split into small slices.