Four in a Row
Drop discs into the grid and be first to line up four of your colour.
How to use: Tap a column (or the arrow above it) to drop your red disc. Get four in a row, in any direction, to win.
How to play Four in a Row
Four in a Row is a two-player game on an upright grid of seven columns and six rows. Players take turns dropping a disc into a column, and the disc falls to the lowest free space. The first player to get four of their discs in a straight line, whether horizontally, vertically or diagonally, wins. If the grid fills with no line, it is a draw.
You play red and move first. Tap any column, or the arrow button above it, to drop your disc. Choose an opponent from the menu: an easy computer that moves at random, a medium one that thinks three moves ahead, a hard one that looks five moves ahead, or two players on the same device. The winning four glows white when the game ends, and a scoreboard keeps count until you reload the page.
The centre column is the most valuable, because it belongs to more possible lines than any other. Try to build two threats at once: if your opponent can only block one of them, you win. Also watch out for traps where a square you want is directly above a square your opponent needs, since whoever is forced to play the lower square gives the other player a free move.
With perfect play the first player can force a win, but the hard computer is not perfect, so a careful player can beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Who goes first?
You do, playing red. In two-player mode, red always starts each game.
Can the computer be beaten?
Yes. The hard level searches five moves ahead, but it can be out-planned by creating two threats at once.
Which column should I start in?
The centre. It takes part in the most possible winning lines.